A Friend in Need
by dustytiger
Summary: missing scene from 32 bullets and a broken heart Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day. KimFaith friendship, KimBobby r, FaithFred divorce, FaithBosco rst? read to find out in part 29
1. 1

TITLE: A Friend in Need   
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just boring them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently   
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ?  
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i watched 32 bullets and a broken heart, and at the end i just got the idea that Kim and Faith needed to call each other and talk. the plot bunny would not stop burrowing in my brain till i wrote this, so this is it... what i think should have happened after the ep, and maybe a little more... right now i'm not looking for this to be more then a few chappies long, just needed a change from my other two fics... anyway i hope you like, please review if you do 

denotes time change, or date change  
XX denotes meanwhile, or happening at approx the same time

Faith sat on the couch, thinking about how she could possibly tell her kids that she had asked their father to leave. She wasn't sure she wanted to get a divorce, but she knew something had to change before she trusted him again.

He hadn't even seen the problem with picking the kids up from school, drunk, and driving. How could any one get so drunk they can't even tell what's a good idea and what's a bad idea? She kept asking herself.

She was glad that Kim and Bobby had called her when they realized who it was they had just treated. Even though Bosco thought she had been overreacting to the situation, she didn't think she had.

He could have put their kids in danger, and that was all that had mattered. She wanted him to realize just how big of a mistake that was. It was one thing to put himself in danger, but it was another to endanger her kids.

She may not have been there with her kids every moment of their lives, but at least she could keep them safe. At least she could try and protect them from seeing their drunken father. She may not win parent of the year but she was not about to also have them have to see what she had.

She couldn't forget all the things she had seen her drunken father do as a child. She wanted to, but it was there forever. All the fights she had heard her parents have when they thought she couldn't hear. All the times he'd lose his temper at nothing. All the times she had gone to kiss him goodnight and he'd smell funny. There was no forgetting any of it, and she didn't want her own kids to have those kinds of memories.

She hoped that by putting him in jail and not letting him stay there he might get the idea. Maybe he'd realize how much she couldn't tolerate it. She thought that maybe he just needed a little help to learn to help himself.

She went into Emily and Charlie's room, and watched them as she slept. If only Fred could hold a steady job, she thought then they could have their own rooms. Emily would be a teenager before she knew it, and would not want to be changing in front of her little brother anymore.

She began to cry, and left the room's doorway before she woke them. She needed to talk to someone who might understand what she was going through. She couldn't think of anyone who could possibly begin to understand it. Bosco certainly hadn't, but she hadn't really expected him to.

XX

Meanwhile across town, Kim was not sleeping either. She peaked in on her sleeping son, and sighed. Why couldn't she give him what he needed, she asked herself. Why could she just give him a good male role model? Even though Jimmy was his father, he really wasn't that good with him, like Bobby was. Why was she so afraid that a guy like him could love her? 

That morning she had never been happier. She had woken up in Bobby's arms, and it was amazing. She cared about him so much, and she wanted to see where it might go. Then he had to go and admit that he loved her. How could he love her after one night? She wasn't even close to being in love with him. She got scared, and made the mistake of asking Jimmy for advice.

Now it was the end of the day, and she felt like shit. Not only was Bobby not talking to her, she had made a big mistake. Not sleeping with him, her choice of words, calling it a mistake. It wasn't a mistake; she was just scared because everything was moving so fast. She was not ready for commitment, and that's what he seemed to have wanted.

She needed to talk to him, and explain everything to him, but he was not answering either of his phones. How could she have been so stupid, letting a man like that slip through her fingers? But she couldn't love him if she was still in love with Jimmy. Nothing made sense anymore and she needed to talk to someone. But who could she call?

She jumped, startled, when the phone rang. She picked it up eagerly, hoping to hear Bobby's voice on the other end. She was surprised to hear a female voice on the other end.

"Hello?" said the voice.

"Hi," Kim replied.

"It's Faith, from work."

"Oh, hi… You're the last person I thought would be calling in the middle of the night."

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't I'm up, have something on my mind."

Faith laughed. "Yeah, me too."

"So what's on your mind?"

"I asked my husband to not stay here tonight."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Bobby."

"Oh." Faith realized she was not the only one who needed to talk to someone.

"I somehow think we're both looking for a sympathetic ear right now."

"Definitely."

"How about we meet for coffee after we drop off the kids for school, but before work, for a good gab session?"

"That sounds great."

"All right, good. We'll meet at the coffee shop just around the corner from work?"

"Sounds perfect."

"I'll see you tomorrow around, say eleven? That should give us time enough to talk."

"I'll be there."

Click. They both put down their phones, and got ready for bed. They were both excited to be able to talk to another female about their perspective problems.  
--

The next day they both met at the agreed upon coffee shop. They each had large coffees, and decided to sit across from each other at a table by the window. Every once in a while they'd watch as an ambulance or police car would whiz by, sirens blazing.

"You'd think after working around them for long enough you'd stop looking," Kim commented.

"You'd think," Faith agreed.

"So do you think I overreacted yesterday?"

"With your husband?"

"Yeah, I mean do you I really had to arrest him?"

"It was your call. He was on his way to pick up your kids from school. You had to keep them safe."

Faith nodded. "That's exactly what I thought, too."

"I think it was totally justified. Don't let anyone try to make you think it wasn't, unless they're a mother too. Because Bosco just doesn't know it's like."

"That's what I tried to tell him. But he wouldn't listen."

"Such a man thing to do."

Faith laughed. "Exactly. So how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Leave Jimmy."

"Faith, he slept with my sister, there wasn't much of a thought process. I just wanted him out of my sight, out of my house, and away from my son."

"What did Joey think of it?"

Kim shrugged. "He still hates that we're divorced, and wants us to get back together. He's still young he really doesn't understand everything. But it's better for him this way. He doesn't have to hear us fighting anymore."

"Did you fight a lot?"

Kim nodded. "After I found out about his indiscretions, yes. We fight all the time now too, and it kills me when it's in front of Joey."

"Fred and I have been fighting a lot too."

"In the long run it's better to not have to hear it all the time. Kids just have a way of waking up when things get really heated."

"Yeah, I hate that they have to hear it."

Kim nodded. "So what happened last night?"

"I asked Fred to leave, I didn't want him anywhere near my kids. I just couldn't do it. I don't want them to have to see their father as an alcoholic."

"That's understandable."

"My father was an alcoholic, when I was kid. So I know how hard it is."

Kim nodded. "Just keep reminding yourself you're doing it for the right reasons."

"I'm trying to."

"It's going to be really hard on your kids. Nothing can prepare you for what they have to go through."

"What do you mean?"

Kim looked at her hands. "After we got separated, Joey tried everything to get us to start living together again. He was three at the time. I was tucking him in one night and he told me that he'd give back all his toys if we could just get back together."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he thought it had to do with him costing too much. It was so hard to explain to him what had happened exactly. How do you tell a three year old that his Daddy can't keep it in his pants where it belongs?"

Faith laughed. "I know what you mean. How am I supposed to tell my kids their father's a drunk without them hating him?"

"Exactly. Kids have this strange way of putting the pieces together so it's all their fault. It's really strange. Joey promised that he'd never hurt himself again. He's promised that he'd never be bad again. He thought he had done something wrong to make Jimmy go away, and I couldn't make him believe anything different."

"So what's he like now?"

"He still asks if we're going to get married again. But I think that's more because saint Edward's is telling him it's a sin, and he's afraid I'm going to go to hell."

"Poor thing."

"Yeah, I can't tell him that they're wrong, cause then he'll think that everything he learns in school is wrong." Faith nodded. "What would be your advice?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"Go to family counseling, and couples counseling. Try to get help before you just give up. Then you and your husband can work out a few important things, and someone else can help the kids understand exactly what's going on. They can talk to someone they feel safe with about how they feel, and what they're thinking."

"I understand what you mean."

"It would have made the whole thing so much easier for everyone. I mean in my case there's no twelve step programme to stop him from being a playboy, but at least we could have moved past the anger of it with someone being the referee." She tried to laugh.

"I understand what you mean. I might try that."

Kim smiled. "I hope you do."

"So last night you said something about Bobby?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, we slept together."

"It's about damn time!"

"What?"

"Even from a distance it's hard to miss how he looks at you."

"What do you mean?"

"Most men look at you, and you just know they're thinking, hey baby, get in my bed!"

Kim blushed. "No they don't!"

"Most men do, Bosco for one does."

"No way! Bosco?"

"He thinks you're a MILF, he falls over himself every time you so much as smile at him."

Kim laughed. "Whatever."

"I'm serious, and most of the guys around here look at you like that. But not Bobby, he looks at you like, when will she finally notice me staring at her longingly?"

"He doesn't."

"He does. He looks at you like a puppy waiting for its master's orders. Wait what's the problem?"

"He told me he loves me."

"Again, what's the problem?"

"After one night?"

"Why not?"

"You can't fall in love with someone in one night."

"You can fall in love with some at first sight." Faith reasoned.

"That's different."

"You were never attracted to him?"

Kim shrugged. "Of course I am- was, look at him. How could I not be?"

"So what's the problem?"

"I don't know."

"He knows your history with Jimmy, right?"

Kim nodded. "I tell him everything."

"He's great with Joey, right?"

"He's amazing with kids."

"Kim, what's the problem, exactly?"

"He's too perfect."

Faith laughed. "He's got flaws, and you'll find them, I'm sure. But why don't you just try?"

"He loves me, and I don't love him back."

"And it's totally impossible to fall in love with him?"

"I guess not."

"Not to sound like a broken record but, what's the problem?"

Kim shrugged. "I just- it's Bobby!"

"So?"

"He's my best friend, I don't want to jeopardize that. What if Bosco suddenly told you he loved you, wouldn't you be scared to lose what you have."

Faith couldn't help but laugh. "If Bosco admitted he loved me I'd have to arrest him for drug use! Bosco is like Jimmy, a playboy, as you put it. That's not the Bobby I know."

"It's just-"

"Why do you keep justifying why you can't be with him, every time I tell you that you could?"

"Because, it would never work."

"You don't know until you try."

Kim shrugged. "I just don't know."

"Carpe diem?"

"I really don't know."

"You gave me some good advise which I think I'm going to take. You could always do the same." Kim smiled. "And what, exactly, is your advice?"

"Just see what happens, don't let someone like him go just because you weren't ready to hear that he loves you." "All right, I'll try."

Faith looked at her watch. "Time sure does fly."

"Yeah," Kim agreed.

The two left the coffee shop and headed over to work.

"We need to do this more often," Kim laughed.

"Yes, we do," Faith agreed. "I need a woman's perspective a lot more then I thought."

"All right, we'll try to do this on a regular basis."

"Good."

"And if we have to we'll let our kids play together."

"Yeah, see you later."

"Yeah, later." She gave her new friend a hug, before they went to the different buildings.

Kim heard Jimmy whistle. "So you've gone to women now!" He called.

"Go fuck yourself Jimmy!" she hollered back.

He ran to catch up to her. "Ouch, that hurt, Kimmy."

"I'm not in the mood, Jimmy."

"Now there's something she doesn't say often."

She glared at him. "Whatever, just leave me alone."

She needed to find Bobby, she needed to talk to him, and she didn't need Jimmy making her rethink everything before she had a chance to say what she needed to say. Jimmy actually took the hint, and didn't follow her upstairs. Sure enough Bobby was there getting changed.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey," he replied.

"Can we talk?"

"I don't think I can handle that, right now."

"Please?"

He couldn't help but agree. "What's on your mind?"

"It wasn't a mistake, it's just not how I wanted it to happen."

He nodded. "Mistake was pretty clear, Kim."

"Bobby, you were hurting, the best way I know how to make a man feel better is-"

He looked way. "Kim, please, don't."

"It's just the way I am. When I'm really worked up about something, I think it helps. That's why I go back to Jimmy."

"Kim, you've got a problem."

"I know! But I didn't want our first time to be to help make a hurt feel better, especially when I realized what your feelings were."

"Then why did you do it?"

She shrugged. "Because it's the way I am, I know that I can help using my body. But I want to change that. I don't want to have just sex anymore."

"Why are you telling me this? Why not tell Doherty?"

"Because I want to fall in love, for real." She looked at him right in the eyes. "With someone who loves me for me, not, how did you put it, for the friction I give them?"

"What brought on the revelation?"

"Just was talking to a friend, and she helped me to realize it."

"Do you mean it Kim?"

"Yes, so do you still want me?"

He hugged her. "Of course I do, you're the only person I really want."

She smiled at him. "Let's just go slowly, from now on?"

He nodded. "All you have to do is tell me when I'm getting to be too much, and I'll stop."

"Why do you love me?"

"Because you're the most amazing person I've ever met, and I want you to know it."

She smiled at him. "You're too good for me."

"Don't say that, Kim. You're exactly who and what I want."

She kissed him, lightly, and slightly nervously. He ran his hand through her hair, while she wrapped her arms around his waist. She then deepened this kiss, and he gently explored her mouth his tongue. They were so wrapped up in each other they hear Jimmy go upstairs, stop then go back down dejected. He pulled away.

"You should get dressed, we have work to do."

"Yeah," she agreed, flustered from the kiss.

XX

Meanwhile at the station, Faith was in role call, sitting next to her partner. There wasn't too much of interest that day. A picture of Bobby's brother was passed out because they thought he had something to do with the liquor store robbery. Faith wondered if that had anything to do with what happened between Kim and Bobby.

They all got up to get ready for the day. Davis was, as usual teasing Sully about his being single. She started toward the car, and Bosco followed her.

"Roses," he said.

"What?' asked Faith.

"I got her roses. Seemed a little cheesy, but she liked them."

"Who?"

"Nicole."

"Right."

"So I got my, uh- Nicole, roses, what did you get Fred?" He asked before getting into the squad car.

"Nothing, I asked him to leave last night."

"Ouch!"

"He went to pick up the kids drunk!"

"So you kicked him out?"

"I didn't want to talk to him last night."

He turned the key to start the engine. "So when are you going to talk to him?"

"Some time today, if I can find him."

"And what are you going to say?"

"I don't know exactly yet." She shrugged. "I'm going to gently suggest that we go to counseling."

"Really?" he was genuinely shocked.

"I talked to a friend this morning, and she gave me some good advice, and I think I'm going to take it. If counseling does nothing, then we'll see what happens. But at least the kids'll know we tried."

"I'm impressed, Yokas!"

"Coming from you, Bos, that's a compliment."

"And if things don't work out?"

She shrugged. "I move on, I guess. So you got her roses?"

"Yeah, they're not cheap either! But she really liked them."

"I don't want to know how she thanked you."

He laughed. "Gave me a break."

She laughed. "Now you're rethinking the whole thing?"

"No, she's a nice girl."

"I'm impressed, Boscorelli!" She mimicked from before.

"Five-five Charlie respond to.." the radio crackled.

Faith flipped on the sirens, while Bosco left foot went heavy on the gas.

tbc..

end notes: i've got at least one more part of this, if you like it please tell me, i love reviews they make me happy... oh and the whole thing with treva is just a one night stand (cause that's what it looked like it was gonna be at the end of the ep)


	2. 2

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters not are mine, i'm just boring them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently   
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ?  
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: so this is part two, i want to make this a shortfic but i know that i've not been able to do that of late, i have at least one more part left (but it's more probably to be two or three parts long) anyway i'd love to hear what people are thinking about this

It was lunch time. Faith had had Bosco go to a diner not far from where Fred had stayed the night before. She hoped that she would at least be able to have a quick bite to eat before she had to get back to work. She needed to talk to him, and she hoped she could just get out what she had to, then leave. She didn't want another big fight with him, she needed to just do what she had come to do. She knocked on the door of the apartment. Fred answered the door.

"Hey," she said, unsure what else to say.

"What now, Faith?" Fred asked.

"We need to talk," she replied.

He didn't seem to be willing to let her inside. She felt like an idiot standing in the doorway talking to him, but at least he had not slammed to door in her face. He didn't smell like alcohol, so maybe something had gotten through to him.

"About what? You made it very clear how you felt yesterday," he snapped.

"I was angry!" she wanted to yell. "If I can't be there for my kids every second of the day the least I can do is keep them safe."

"Get off it Faith!" He went to shut the door.

She put her hand on the door, and he didn't keep pushing it. "That's why I did it! My job is to keep people safe, and that most certainly includes my kids!"

"Our kids Faith!"

"You were driving drunk to pick them up at school!"

"It was a mistake."

She shook her head. "You've been making a lot of those of late Fred!"

"And you haven't?"

"I'm not going to deny that. I'm not here to get into a fight about who did what to who right now, all right?"

"Then why are you here?"

"I got some advise from a friend today, and I've been thinking about last night."

"So what are you going to do now, file for divorce?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to do that right away. You can come back home, but there's conditions."

"Of course there are."

"I want us all to go to counseling. We need to go together, and with the kids. If they think we all need to see someone separately, then so be it."

"How can we afford that?"

"It's one of my benefits from working for the city. I've never really wanted to use it before, but I think it's a good idea."

"Do you think it'll help?"

She shrugged. "I really don't know. I do know what we're doing now isn't helping, so we should try something."

He nodded. "All right, and I'll even go to AA if you want."

"I'm not saying that it's going to end differently even if we work on our marriage, but at least we'll know we tried everything."

He nodded. "Thank you, I'm not going to let you down."

"I want to believe you."

"And I'm sorry about yesterday, it was stupid of me. I should have asked someone to pick them up for me. I wasn't thinking straight."

"I know. The kids aren't expecting you to pick them up, so if you hurry over you can surprise them."

He smiled at her, glad that she seemed to have relaxed a little, and had calmed down from the day before. He was curious about who she'd listen to about therapy, at that time he didn't care. He just wanted to see his kids.

Faith went to join her partner for lunch. Bosco was at a nearby diner having lunch, and waiting for his partner to return. She came back, smiling, happy that things seemed to be on the right track. She hoped she really had done the right thing.

"So he didn't get mad?" he asked.

"No, and he offered to go to AA," she replied.

"Maybe what you did wasn't such a terrible thing after all."

"Thanks, Bos. That looks really good." She went to take a bite.

"Get your own!"

XX

Meanwhile Kim and Bobby had stopped at deli for lunch, but desert was what they both had on their mind. The were locked together in the bathroom, there wasn't much room to move around.

She had her legs wrapped around his waist, and they were practically pinned against a wall. Her uniform shirt was unbuttoned, and her usually tied down hair was a mess.. Bobby's hands were under her tank top.

They were kissing frantically and breathing heavily She was trying hard not to make too much noise. It had all started innocently enough, them both trying to wash their hands in the tiny bathroom.

Then the kissing had started, now she was wrapped around him, dry humping him, as he played with her breasts. Both trying to be as quiet as possible so not to get caught.

"Bobby!" she said her voice lusty, louder then she would have liked.

"Shh, they'll figure out what we're doing in here," he whispered, trying to unzip her pants, but not having much luck in the postion they were in.

"No, stop, Bobby, we can't."

"Yeah, you're just gonna have to move for a minute."

"Not that. We can't do this here, now."

"I'll be quick."

"I've heard you tell me that before, and it wasn't quick."

He smiled at her, innocently, not computing what she was saying. She needed to stop right there before it all got out of hand again. She was now standing in front of him, facing him.

"I promise, it will this time," he assured her, working on the button of her pants first.

"Bobby, stop please. We can't have sex right now."

"That hurts."

"Just for a little while, this how things got so messed up in the fist place."

"All right." He kissed her lightly. "You're right."

She was glad that he had actually stopped when she got uncomfortable like he had promised.

"Shit!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked.

"Where's my hair tie?"

"Don't look at me."

"You're the one who pulled it out. You're the one who likes my hair down so he can run his fingers through it."

"On the floor?"

She looked down and saw in a puddle from where the toilet leaked. "I can't wear that now."

"You've probably got one in the rig, and if not I'll buy you a pack from the drugstore."

"All right."

"I'll get out here first. I'll give you some time to do something with your hair, and come out in minute all right?"

"Yeah."

He opened the door, someone was standing there waiting. They were both surprised to learn that it was Jimmy waiting to use that bathroom. Kim was fixing her tank top, and had not even started to rebutton her uniform top. Her hair was down, and in her face. They were both red from both embarrassment and having stopped their activities.

Jimmy smiled at them, and shook his head. Thinking that what he had just walked in was a trick he'd normally pull. She started to quickly button her shirt.

"Kimmy, you must be kidding," Jimmy laughed.

She didn't even look at him, she just scurried past him, still buttoning her shirt, her hair sill mussed. She needed to get as far away from him as she possibly could. If she talked to him she'd start doubting going to Bobby again.

Of all the rotten luck, she thought to herself. Half the squad had thought to go to the same deli for lunch that day. The group suddenly went quiet upon seeing her rush past them, Bobby in toe. They could tell that the two of them had been up to something.

She needed to get to the bus, she needed to get away from them. She opened the door, and started going through what was in the glove compartment.

Bobby came up behind her, asking, "what's wrong?"

"You'd think I could find a hair tie! You'd think I'd have an extra one. They break, and fall out, and-" she babbled.

"No, Kim, why are you really out here?"

"Can we go somewhere else?"

"They'll know sooner or later. Us leaving just make it seem worse." He reasoned.

"I don't want to hear what they have say. I don't care what they say, as long as I don't have to hear it."

"All right."

"There's a diner just around the corner."

He drove up to the diner, surprised to see a police car parked out front. They both got out of the rig, and went inside. Kim noticed Faith right away, and went over to sit with her. Bobby followed, and ended up sitting next to Bosco.

"Hey," said Faith, casually.

"Hi, how are the kids?" Kim asked.

"Chicks," Bosco grumbled. "I hate hen parties. Could you let me out?"

Bobby got up again, and let Bosco out. Kim and Faith had struck up quiet the conversation, about their kids. Bobby decided to follow Bosco, who moved to sit at the counter, and had ordered a cup of coffee. Bobby ordered a hamburger platter with fries.

"So did you talk to your husband yet?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Faith replied. "He stayed with some friends around here last night."

"How did it go?"

"He even offered to go to AA."

"That's great!"

"Thank you for the advice."

"No problem."

"So what about you and Romeo over there?"

Kim smiled. "We're gonna take it slower from now on. Thank you for your advice."

"Not a problem, I'm glad I could help."

At the counter Bobby had started eating, while Bosco sipped his coffee.

"They hardly know each other and they just strike up a conversation. Women, huh?" Bosco said shaking his head.

"They both have kids, that's something to talk about," Bobby reasoned.

"I just don't get it. There's something to be said about silence."

"There's something to be said about conversation."

Bosco shrugged, and heard the two women laugh at something.

"So what's he like?" Faith asked.

Kim blushed. "He's really good."

"That always helps."

"What do you think your partner there would be like?" She motioned in Bosco's direction.

"I don't even want to think about that!"

"Come on you've never thought about it?"

"I know more about that man's sex life then I'd like to. I'm not interested in finding out about it for myself."

Kim laughed. "Fine, I'll drop it."

Meanwhile at the counter, Bosco was still watching them. Especially after he noticed Kim point in their direction.

"What do you think they're talking about?" he asked Bobby.

Bobby swallowed a bite of his burger. "I don't know."

"Think they're talking about us?"

"Doubt it."

"Why do you think that?"

"I think they probably have more important things to talk about then their partners." Bobby reasoned.

"Is everything okay here?" the waitress asked Bobby.

"Yeah great," Bobby nodded. "Put whatever my partner orders on my bill please."

"No problem."

Bosco laughed. "Someone's whipped."

"Whatever, I just thought I'd be nice. Maybe you should try it sometime."

The waitress went over and put down Kim's lunch. Kim was glad to be able to eat. She had decided to drop the Bosco topic cause it wasn't something. It had gone silent for moment.

"Why's your hair down?" Faith asked.

Kim blushed. "I dropped it in a bathroom and didn't want to pick it up off the floor."

"I see. Why'd you blush?"

"Just thinking about something."

Faith wasn't sure she actually wanted to know the answer to the question, not that Kim was about to give it up.

"You wouldn't have happen to have an extra hair tie so I don't have to stop at pharmacy and buy a pack, would you?" Kim asked.

Faith checked her pockets, a pulled a black hair tie out. "I keep them almost everywhere in case I need to put my daughter's hair up."

She laughed. "Maybe I should do that for myself." She pulled her hair into a ponytail, and quickly looped the tie through. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Back at the counter Bobby had finished his plate, and the waitress cleared it away. Bosco had stopped even pretending to drink the coffee, and watched the women at the table.

"That's an ass I'd like to tap," Bosco muttered, not realizing he had said it out loud.

"What? Who?" Bobby asked.

"Just admiring your partner."

"Right."

"You don't think she's hot?"

Bobby shrugged. "I guess so."

"She's a MILF."

"MILF?"

"Mommy I'd like to fuck," laughed Bosco. "You can't say she's not easy on the eyes."

Bobby shook his head. "You're something else, you know that?"

"What it's a crime to admire a pretty face?"

"Kim doesn't need an admirer like you."

"What are you, her protector?"

"After Doherty I don't like to see her hurt."

"Calm down White Knight, I'm just looking. I mean she has a kid. I wouldn't wanna try anything with someone who's got a kid. You know, just in case."

"You really are something else, Julio."

"Like you've never noticed her. That smile, those lips. And that body, it's a work of art! Those breasts are outta this world. When you can tell in a uniform she's gotta be hot."

Bobby shook his head. "I don't believe what I'm hearing."

"Look me in the face the face and tell me you've never imagined what she'd be like in bed."

Bobby looked right at Bosco. "I don't have to imagine."

He then dropped some money on the counter for their meals. He then went over to the table where Kim was sitting. Bosco just sat there, his mouth agape. He couldn't tell him Bobby had been serious, but he wasn't stupid enough to ask.

"I hate to interrupt, but it's about time to get back," Bobby reminded her her.

"Yeah, I know." Kim agreed. "I just need to pay,"

"I took care of it."

She smiled at him. While Faith smiled knowingly at Kim, Bobby couldn't help but see the look she had given her. He wondered if she knew the truth. Had Kim to told her, he wondered. Kim nodded back at her friend.

"I'll talk to you later, Faith," Kim assured her friend.

"I'll call you tonight, all right?" Faith asked.

"Sound great!"

Bobby and Kim left the diner, and stopped in front of the rig. He glanced inside, and noticed Bosco was watching them.

"What?" Kim asked, innocently.

"So that's your friend?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Remind me to thank her." He kissed her lightly on the lips, then went to the driver's side of the bus. She got into the bus too, and smiled at him.

"Thank you for lunch, but you didn't have to pay."

"I wanted to."

They put their radios back on, and were asked to go immediately to a fire. They raced off to the location. Bosco watched the whole thing from inside the diner. He went back to where his partner was sitting. "Are they?" he asked, not even having to finish the sentence.

"Yeah," Faith replied.

"Lucky bastard."

"You've got Nicole, remember?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, but Kim's still hot."

She shook her head. "You're too much."

"Screwing your partner that can only lead to trouble."

"This from the man that slept with the captain's daughter?"

"You'll never let me live that down will 'ya?"

"No. We should get back out there, they may need us wherever they just went off to."

"Yeah."

Faith threw some money on the table, and then they went outside. She radioed to say that they were off lunch, and were given a location immediately. When they got there they saw Kim and Bobby already working on someone. Doc and Carlos were also there, as well as the fire squad.

"Crowd control for the bucket boys," Bosco laughed. "This must be my lucky day!"

"Suck it up, princess," Faith retorted.

XX

Fred was excited that Faith had actually agreed to let him pick up the kids and surprise them. He had called the babysitter and told her that he was going to be picking them up. Before he went to the school had gone to the apartment to drop his things back, so they wouldn't ask any more questions.

He waited by the main door of the school, so they couldn't miss him. They were all bundled in their winter stuff, and looked adorable. Emily's curly hair was everywhere. They came out holding hands, and looking for the sitter.

When they saw their father they started running toward him, stopping only when the crashed in him. Both of them hugging him.

"Daddy!" they both exclaimed.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be picking us up for a little while," Emily reasoned.

"Your mother changed her mind," he explained.

"Why weren't you at home this morning?" Charlie asked.

Fred looked at the ground. "I did something stupid yesterday, and your mother wanted me to think about it for a little while."

"Did you get in trouble?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Are you in trouble still?"

"Kind of, yes. Your mother and me will explain everything to you as soon as we get a chance."

They accepted that, glad that they their father was there to pick them up. They had to walk because the car was still in the shop, but it didn't bother any of them. They were on each side of him. One holding each of his hands. It wasn't a far walk, but he was glad to see the apartment complex come into view.

Once they got inside, the kids went right to the fridge for their after school snacks. Fred just savoured the feeling of being at home again. Emily poured them each a bowl of cereal as their snack. She handed one to Charlie, and he gave her a spoon. The two of them brought the bowls into the living room, and sat down on the couch after putting on the television.

"How much homework do you have Emily?" Fred asked.

"Not much, I promise," she replied.

"Once this one is over, I'd like you to get it done."

"Okay."

He sat down on a chair opposite them, and realized just how much he could have lost had he not hit that pole. He was so mad at Faith he couldn't see past the anger. But watching them sit and watch TV, he realized what he could have done.

Faith was right to not want him around them. He had almost put their lives in danger. If something had happened, how would he be able to live with guilt if he had hurt them? He knew that God played cruel tricks, and had he gone to pick them up, it would be his kids who were hurt, not him.

He also knew that Faith had seen things like that so many times before, and that's why she reacted the way she did. He didn't want to imagine how many times she had seen car wrecks where kids were hurt by drunk drivers.

He knew that no matter how much he wanted to make what she had done something vindictive, it wasn't. It had really been about protecting the kids. He knew that they had a lot to work on, but he knew he really did want to work on everything. He wanted everything to be good between them again.

He just hoped he hadn't done too much damage that could not be repaired. The show ended, and Emily disappeared into her room to do her homework, and he began to make supper. He hoped that Faith would peak in, and see that things were back to normal, for the time being.

He was actually excited about getting counseling, he just hoped that his wife didn't have a change of heart. He wanted everything to work out between them. He didn't' want to lose his family. He knew if he could stick with AA he'd probably be able to keep them. He just hoped he was strong enough to what he had to.

tbc...

end notes: i have at least one more part of this prolly two trying to figure what exactly i'm gonna do tho, i'm wanting this to be a short fic cause i've got two long ones on the go, but who knows, the bathroom scene was just something i couldn't get out of my head how 'ya like, tell me what 'ya think i love to hear it ;)


	3. 3

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters not are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently   
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ?  
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: wow part three, i didn't think it would get this big and there's at least two more like three parts i want to write... wait it'd have to be four...i'm glad people seem to be liking this, i'm trying to keep with the timeline, and i'm doing a better job then with most of my fics, trying to keep the characters in character too i hope i'm doing okay... when i get a review i dance around the room with the first cat i see, make that happen, please? 

Kim was getting off shift, and not looking forward to waiting for a cab in the cold. She went downstairs, and was surprised to see Bobby waiting for her.

"Need a ride home?" he offered.

"That would be great," she replied.

"Do you need to pick up Joey tonight?"

"No, Jimmy's taking him tonight."

"All right." He unlocked the car, and they got inside.

She looked over at him. "About today-"

"There's nothing to say."

"I didn't mean to get you worked up only to ask you to stop."

"It's all right, you had your reasons."

"I know that but I still feel bad."

"Kim, you don't even have to do anything to get me worked up. When you're ready again, I will be too."

She was blushing from his previous comment. "I just think that if we slept together again right away it could lead to problems."

He nodded. "Why don't you value yourself?"

"What?"

"Why do you use your body to give others what you think they need. Why don't you value yourself enough to know that sometimes what a guy needs is your mind?"

She shrugged. "Because no one's made me feel like they got with me for my mind before."

"I did. I always knew you were beautiful, but I've always listened to what you had to say, and a lot of the time you don't even give yourself credit for that."

She smiled at him. "Sometimes I like the attention from people just looking at me. Actually, most of the time I prefer it."

"You're so much more then that."

"Faith told me something today, that surprised me. She told me that most men look at me and want to get in my pants."

"They do, you just don't seem to notice it."

"I notice them looking, but I don't think they're thinking that. She also said that you didn't, you just looked at me hoping I'd notice you staring at me. How did I miss that?"

"Sometimes it's easy to miss what's right there in front of you."

She nodded. "I noticed you, I just didn't let myself believe that you wanted anything to do with me."

He reached over and took her hand. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're an amazing person, and I didn't want to screw anything up between us. I'm not very good with relationships. I do better when it's not real, when it's just sex. I thought that's what we were doing the other night."

"I don't like just sex, I feel horrible after."

She squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry."

"You're fixing it now, right?"

"I'm going to try."

He pulled up in front of her building. "See you tomorrow."

"Come up?"

"Kim." He warned.

"Please, no letting it get out of hand. I want to talk."

"As soon as things get too hot and heavy, I'm going to leave."

"All right."

They both got out of the car, and he followed her upstairs. The last time he had been there the last thing he had expected was what happened. He was going to be more careful this time. When they got inside they both sat on the couch, and then they went quiet. He pulled her toward him, and just held her.

"I had a one night stand last night," he said finally.

"What?" she asked.

"I thought I shouldn't lie to you. I had a one night stand last night."

"All right."

"I was drinking, and we started talking, I was upset that you rejected me, so I didn't think I just acted."

"You don't have to justify yourself to me."

He brushed her hair with his fingers. "I wanted to tell you the truth. It didn't mean anything. I was just down cause the person I loved since I met her told me I had been a mistake."

"I'm sorry, Bobby. If I had known-"

"I know, and I'm sorry for not being more honest with you. I should have told you that I was interested in you as something more then comfort. I should have done so many things differently."

"We can't change that now." She sighed. "It's ironic how I hate Jimmy for not keeping it in his pants, when I can't keep mine on and my legs closed."

"Don't say that Kim. You've never cheated on anyone you were with. It's different, you do it because you think that's what guys want you to do."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I'm trying to say you're not a slut. You're trying something different right now, that has to count for something."

"I guess so. This is really nice." She snuggled up closer to him.

"Yeah, this is great." He just kept playing with her hair.

XX

Faith got home, exhausted, knowing that her day was far from over. She still had some things to talk to her husband about. She fell onto the couch, and she just wanted to sleep. Fred appeared in front of her with a plate of re-warmed pasta.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him.

"I'm sorry," he replied.

She looked at him. "For what?"

"Putting the kids in danger yesterday, you were right."

She nodded. "All right, but we're still going to therapy."

"I'm not going to try and back out of it. I think it's a great idea, whoever suggested was right on the ball."

"She just learned from her own mistakes."

He nodded. "So who's this person?"

"One of the medics across from work. We got to talking, and we decided to take each other's advise." She looked at him.

"So what happens if it doesn't help?"

"I guess we'll have to find out if the time comes. I'm more worried about the drinking."

"I know, and I really want to do it, for you and the kids."

She smiled at him. "I want to believe you. But you have to want to do it for yourself too."

"I know, and I do."

"I don't want our kids having to see what I did growing up."

"I know, and I'm sorry for what they've already seen."

She took his hand, and he sat down next to her. "They shouldn't have to see that."

"I agree, and I hope they don't remember."

She nodded. "They're smarter then we give them credit for. My friend's son is younger then Charlie and he still says he'll be good, and not ask for more toys so that she can get back with his father."

"Wow. I didn't realize until yesterday how much my drinking effected everyone here."

"I know that, Fred. But you doing the right thing isn't going to erase all the things that have already been done."

"I know. I'm going to do it, Faith, I'll stop drinking."

"I hope you do, Fred, I really do. But if you can't do it, understand that me and the kids are gone. I can't give you a bunch of chances. You've told me before you'd quit, and you haven't."

"I know, and I won't screw it up."

"I really want to believe that, Fred, but it's hard., real hard."

"Mommy?" they heard a small voice say, it was Emily.

Faith went into the kids' room. "Yeah, Emily."

"Are you and Daddy going to get a divorce?"

"We're going to work on not having that happen."

"See I told you so, Charlie."

"You're up too?" Faith asked him.

"Yeah," he replied, popping his head out from under the covers.

"If you're up anyway, why don't you two come in here for minute? We all need to talk about something important."

The two kids came into the living room, and the four of them sat on the couch. The kids knew their parents were not going to tell them they were getting a divorce, but were worried about what they might say.

"What's going on?" Emily asked.

"Yesterday your father and me got into fight," Faith explained. "He did something he shouldn't have done, and when he came home I didn't want him here. That's why he wasn't hear this morning to bring you to school. I was talking to a friend today, and she thought it might be a good idea if we all went to talk to someone."

"Who?" Charlie interrupted.

"There's a special kind of doctor who just listens to people talk, and helps them with their problems. I want us to go as a family so you two will understand what's going on. If you have to go without us too, then that's how it's going to be. Your father and me are going to see another doctor, just the two us too. So that we can talk about what we've done, so that we won't get a divorce."

"Daddy, what did you do?" Emily asked.

"It's hard to explain," Fred replied. "But I promise that I'm trying to make it better. Maybe the doctor can help me to explain to you what the problem is."

She nodded. "Promise you won't get a divorce."

That hit Faith really hard. She wanted so much to promise that to her daughter, but she knew she couldn't do it honestly. There was still a change they could get a divorce. She remember Kim telling her about her son had promised them the moon for them to get married again.

It effected the kids so much, and until she had talked to Kim she hadn't even considered that. It broke her heart to know that she may not be able to give her daughter something she wanted so badly.

"Emily," Fred said. "We can only promise that we'll try our hardest to make sure we don't get a divorce."

"Yeah," Faith agreed. "But if we do it's not because of anything either you have done. You are the best kids in the world."

Charlie smiled at his mother, then hugged her. She just hugged him, then kissed him on the forehead. She felt like she was going to cry, this had been a lot harder then she thought it would be.

"You too have school in the morning, how about you get some sleep?" Fred asked them.

Emily nodded. "Come on Charlie."

They both watched as the kids went back into their room. Faith looked away, and began to cry. Fred went to comfort her, but she pushed him away.

"I still need space, Fred," she whispered, going into her room, closing the door behind her. Fred knew that meant that he was going to be sleeping on the couch that night. He knew he deserved it, but he still hated it. He wanted so much to make it better, to relive the day before and not drive drunk.

He also knew that the problems they were having were beyond just the drinking. It had gotten far too out of hand, and Faith had had enough. He knew that it had gotten out of hand, he just hoped he could keep in check with help, because he knew if he couldn't he'd lose his wife.

He peaked into the kids' room, and they seemed to be sleeping. He then got himself a pillow and blanket, and got comfortable on the couch.

In her room Faith was sat up, with her legs against her chest, crying. Trying hard to keep quiet, she didn't want to wake the kids, or have Fred come in. On the nightstand there was a picture of them taken recently. She looked at it, wanting to go back to that time, where everything seemed like it wasn't a problem.

She looked at the four smiling faces in the picture, and hoped that they would have many more pictures like that one. She wanted so much to believe that Fred would change, but a part of her was worried that he couldn't.

She picked up the phone, and before she knew it she had called Kim's number. It took a few rings for her to answer. Faith wondered if she was going to wake her friend up.

"Hi," Kim whispered.

"Hi, it's Faith," she said.

"Oh, hi." She was still whispering.

"Why are you whispering?"

"Bobby's asleep next to me."

"Oh."

"We were just talking, and he fell asleep."

Faith laughed. "I'll believe you."

"So why'd you call?"

"When I went to tell the kids goodnight, my daughter asked me if we were going to get a divorce."

"That had to hurt."

Faith sighed. "Yeah, I didn't realize they knew how bad things had gotten."

"They just know."

"So we told them what was going on, and that we were going to counseling. Kim she asked me to promise her we wouldn't get a divorce."

"Oh, Faith."

"What was I supposed to tell her?"

"The truth, you can't promise her that, you know that."

"I know." She sniffled, trying to fight back the tears.

"It hurts, I know. But if going to counseling helps, then you don't have to hurt any more. You don't want to lie to her about something like this."

"I know I can't lie to her. I just didn't think it would be so hard to hear."

"Nothing can prepare you for it. At least you're trying to work it out. Most people don't even do that. Try to keep positive."

Faith wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's really hard."

"I know, but you have to be strong either way, for those kids. You did the right thing, and don't let yourself think otherwise. Just do it for your kids."

"I think I'm finally starting to understand my mother."

Kim laughed. "Funny how that happens when we have kids of our own. I think Bobby's starting to wake up, so I've got to go."

"Talk to you later."

"Yeah, call me tomorrow if you sill need to talk."

"Thanks, bye."

"Later."

Faith hung up the phone, and curled up in bed. She had trouble falling asleep, but she did manage it. It was so strange sleeping without her husband laying next to her. She was glad that Kim was being so supportive through everything, she really needed a friend. It was nice to have one who had been through something similar.

XX

At Kim's Bobby had, in fact woken up. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. She brushed her hand against his face. She realized she liked watching him wake up. He looked confused for a moment, then remembered where he was.

"Who were you just talking to?" he asked.

"Faith," she replied.

"Why did you let me fall asleep?"

"I was sleeping too, until my phone rang."

He kissed her. "I should probably get home."

"Stay."

"Kim, you know that's not a good idea."

"It's late, and you're tired, I don't want you to get into a car accident. Stay, please."

He smiled at her. "I'll take the couch."

"We're both adults, we can share the bed."

"I told you I'm leaving when you go to far."

"Bobby, I'm too tired for that. I just liked the feeling of you holding me, a lot. I liked waking up to realize that I was in your arms. I want to feel that again, without all the emotions I can't handle."

"Are you sure?"

"I can't see how I feel about you if I don't get to spend any real alone time with you."

"Fine, but I'm going to remind you, if you go too far, I'm gone."

"What do I have to do? Promise I'll be a good girl?"

He laughed. "I don't want things to get screwed up again."

She kissed him light. "Neither to I, Bobby. I'm too afraid to lose you."

"You'd have to do an awful lot to get rid of me. Even if this doesn't work out I'd hope we could still be friends."

"I'd want that too, but it'd be hard. I don't want to lose another man I lo-" She stopped herself. "Another man I like."

"You were gonna say it."

"No, I wasn't!"

"You're such a bad liar."

"I can't love two people at once," she reasoned.

"Do you really love Jimmy? Or are you just afraid to lose your past with him. No matter how you feel about him now, your past will never be erased. Joey will not disappear if you love another person. You won't stop loving Joey because you've stopped loving Jimmy."

"Logically I know that, but my heart isn't really there yet. I don't want to tell you those words until every part of me knows it's the truth."

"I'll wait till the end of time if I have to, Kim."

She smiled at him. "You're too good for me."

"Don't sell yourself short. You deserve a prince."

She laughed, then leaned over a kissed him. Her hand moved to cup his cheek. She just needed to feel him, make sure he was real. She had to know everything that was happening was really going on.

"Is this real?" she whispered, pulling away

"I hope so," he whispered back. "I love you, Kim."

She smiled at him. "How can you possibly love a train wreck like me?"

"Because you're not a train wreck, you're an amazing person who made a mistake. You deserve to feel real love. You deserve to have someone tell you whenever you ask exactly how he feels. You deserve to know that that person will come back to you no matter who else he may see during the course of the day. You deserve so much more then you let yourself have."

"Why can't you see me for who I am?"

"I think I'm the only person who sees you for who you really are, and I'll have to teach you how to see yourself too."

"Why?"

"Cause that's just what you do when you love someone."

"No one's ever done that for me before."

"Let me be the first."

She kissed him lightly. "I'm almost there."

He smiled, and followed her into her room. They curled up in the bed together, and soon they had both fallen asleep.

tbc...

end notes: all right, this is gonna be longer then orignally planned, i'm almost done writing tw:tng so i guess this one might take it's place cause i went to write part four and my muse came up with something i was not expecting, and i'm really happy about where it's going so, so i think it's graduated to from side fic to active fic, i hope you like...


	4. 4

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters not are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently   
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ?  
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: all right, this is so not what i had in mind for this part at all, the muse just started whispering in my ear and before long i had this, i usually skip over action scenes cause i'm not good with the jargon, but i think i did this one all right, pls tell me if you think i did i really wanna know... i still have some more ideas on this, and it's developed into something a little bigger then i had planned... might be a little longer on the next part cause i wanna finish writing (not editing and prepping for post) of tw:tng before i dive headfirst into this fic hehe... but i got a bit written so hopefully there won't be toooooo much of a delay 

Kim and Bobby were at the scene of a building which had partially collapsed. The building was still under construction, and there were parts whic were just beams, There was scaffolding just about everywhere. The firefighters were helping the guys who had been trapped on higher beams, away from what had already collapsed.

It was possible that the whole thing could fall down, on everyone. It was also possible that just about anything could fall. All the medics were instructed to wear helmets if they had to work on anyone in the construction area.

There was simply not enough hands to make sure that only the firefighters pulled people out, their priority was those who needed ladders, or were stuck. Bobby and Kim were mostly working on people that had minor abrasions from falling debris, who had gotten to them themselves.

The whole place was buzzing with people running around trying to make sure that everyone was all right. For the most part, the injuries seemed minor, and anyone who was stuck was easy to find, as the building only had a few walls.

Bobby had just gone to help Doc and Carlos go to lift someone who Jimmy had just freed from under a fallen beam onto at stretcher.

He was walking back toward his partner when she noticed something falling out of the corner her eye. It looked like a plank from a piece of scaffolding. She couldn't tell if he was directly under it..

"Bobby!" she shouted. "Stop!"

He stopped dead in his tracks, then heard a very loud banging sound. Sure enough a plank from the scaffolding just ahead of him crashing only a foot in front of him. He looked at it, and before he even caught his breath he was greeted with an armful of Kim.

She just held him tight for a long moment, quivering. She had been terrified. Right before it fell she was sure it would hit him. Everyone was looking at the pair, but neither of them cared.

"It's okay, Kim, I'm fine," he assured her, trying to free himself from her embrace.

"I love you," she whispered, but the words were lost when a loud alarm was set off.

"I can't hear you!"

"I said, I love you!" She yelled.

The alarm had been turned off by the time she finished, and everyone had heard what she had said that time.  
Bobby leaned down and kissed her, lightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Everyone who wasn't busy was staring at them. The pulled away, both embarrassed.

"We should uh," Bobby offered.

"Yeah," Kim agreed.

They walked over to the bus, waiting for Lieu to tell them that the building was, in fact, clear, and they could leave.

"Did you mean it?" Bobby asked.

"Yes," she replied. "When I saw it falling I realized that I was just making excuses, but I needed to stop, because anything could happen. I wouldn't want something to happen to you and never tell you the truth."

"And what is the truth?"

She smiled at him. "I love you, Bobby."

"I love you, Kim."

XX

"So he starts AA tomorrow," Faith told her partner.

"Think it'll help?" he asked.

"I really don't know. I hope so."

"What if it doesn't?"

"I told him that if he can't stop I'm gone. I can't have the kids growing up around that."

He nodded. "I understand."

"I refuse to be that person who lets him keep saying, this time I'm really going to quit."

"You don't seem like that kind of person."

She smiled at him. "I don't know if I'm really strong enough to do it."

"I think you are."

"Really?"

"Yeah, when it comes to your kids you're like a lioness. You'll do just about anything to protect your cubs."

"Five-five Charlie come in," crackled the radio.

They then started toward the scene of a car accident. When they got there an bus was already on the scene. There was also another cop car on the scene, which meant that they were there to direct traffic around the collision.

"Have I ever mentioned I hate directing traffic?" Bosco asked.

"I bet it'd be better if you kept your mouth shut," she replied.

"Yes, mother."

She shook her head, and they proceeded to direct traffic. The first medics on the scene had left as soon as Doc and Carlos rode up, and they explained who was the next priority.

"Carlos!" Doc called. "Call for another bus, and we need the trucks here there's a possible gas leak!"

Then they heard another crashing sound. The car they had let through after the ambulance went through, had crashed into a car that was turning off of the other one way street, where it ended.

"Geniuses!" Bosco exclaimed, "now everyone's stuck while they clean up that mess!"

The sergeant at the scene barked some orders at a few officers who were about to leave, to get them to access the second accident. The two men had gotten out of the car, with no injuries, but their cars could not be moved. The sergeant went over to Faith and Bosco.

"So, we have a situation here, everyone who's between the two streets are stuck till we get this all cleaned up. I'd like you two to split up and inform everyone who's stuck what's going on," the sergeant told them. "I've got my guys redirecting traffic at the closest cross street."

"All right," said Faith.

He walked away, barking orders at anyone who would listen.

"Perfect!" Bosco grunted.

"Your commentary will not change the situation Bos!"

"If these guys are stuck here how the hell are they gonna get a truck through for that gas leak?" Bosco reasoned, noticed there was not much room for a truck to get through.

"Not our problem."

"I'll take these guys, you take those?"

"Sure."

He walked in one direction and she walked in the other, past the accident, which was just in the middle enough so nothing could get around it. She went to the first car that was stopped. The guy rolled down the window.

"Unfortunately we can't any more cars through at the moment," she explained.

"But the guy in front of me just left just squeezed through."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I've been ordered to stop the traffic flow."

"Great, how long am I stuck here?"

"I'm not really sure, but they'll work as fast as they can to get everything moving again."

She went to the next car to tell them what was going on. Then the honking started. Why did no one get that there was no point in honking where there was a twenty car line of people sitting there. Chances are if the first guy could go he would have.  
She noticed Bobby and Kim running up the sidewalk, with their med bags and a board. She looked at them quizzically.

"How were we supposed to get past this?" Bobby asked.

Faith went to the second car, the man rolled down his window.

"When are we gonna be moving?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "As fast as we can."

"You don't understand, I have to get moving. My daughter's in labour."

"Kim!" Faith called.

She looked over. "What?"

"We've got a woman in labour over here!"

Kim ran over to the car.

"How far along is she?" Faith asked.

"I don't know!" the man replied. His daughter was in the back seat. "Can you unlock the door to let the medic have a look?"

Kim had arrived, and got into the back seat with the daughter, who was just a teenager.

"Hi," said Kim. "I'm Kim, what's your name?"

"Bri," the young woman replied.

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"When are you due?"

"Last week."

"All right, that's one good thing in all of this. I know we just met but I have to see exactly how far along you are." She looked embarrassed. "Fine."

Kim checked the woman and she was almost fully dilated.

"All right, I hate to tell you this, Bri, but you're gonna have your baby here," she said. "I need to go get some stuff off my rig, you just do the breathing exercises you were taught till I get back."

"All right."

She ran past Faith, who was arguing with a guy about her telling him that he was not moving for a while. She came back with some equipment just in case the baby wasn't breathing. She ducked back into the car.

"It's gonna be cramped in here, but I figure you'd rather have it here then on the street," Kim told her.

The teen smiled. "Yeah."

"Do you know the sex?"

"No."

"All right, if I starting calling it a him, it's cause I've got a little boy myself, and I'm used to saying it all right?"

"Did you get drugs?"

"I had some many drugs I thought I saw God. Had you planned on natural child birth?"

"Until the contractions started."

"Unfortunately we'll have to with the original plan, Bri. Is your dad your birthing coach?"

"No, my Mom, is she was supposed to meet us at the hospital. He doesn't really wanna be around for this." "If I have to I'll get my partner to help me out."

"Was he worth it?"

"Who?"

"Your son, was he worth the pain?"

"And then some."

Across on the other side of the accident, Bosco was getting to the end of his rope. People were honking, and cursing him out when he tried to explain the situation.

"Don't shoot the messenger!" Bosco snapped at a businessman.

"I have to get to my meeting, it's really important."

"And I'd rather be eating my lunch, we don't always get what we want."

"I want your badge number."

"Gimme a break!"

"I need that to report you!"

"The last name is Boscorelli, I work at the fifty fifth precinct, you complain about me they'll find me."

"You're being unreasonable. I have something important to do."

"And none of the people in all these other cars do? I bet if you went around asking, there's even people who have more important things to do then you, and aren't bitching half as much as you."

"I don't see why you can't tell everyone to just back up."

Bosco watched as Jimmy, DK, and Billy ran past him.

"Sir! We can't even get a damn fire truck though right! Your meeting won't mean a thing to my sergeant. I'm done here, have a good day."

"Where the hell's your truck?" the sergeant demanded upon seeing Jimmy.

"Up my ass!" he snapped. "It's a block down, you've stopped traffic flow, and we can't get through."

Lieutenant Johnson caught up to them, and had heard Jimmy snap at the sergeant. "I'll take over from here, Doherty, just see what you can do with what we have."

"I need that truck here!" the sergeant snapped.

"We can't get it through, because of the traffic. Unless you want us to run over all the cars in our way."

"What about over there?" He pointed at the part of the road before the street they were on, behind where the second accident was.

"If I get the truck on that street, then nothing else can get through, and we'll never get moving."

"Then I'll let the traffic through."

"Not till I give the okay. If there's a gas leak, it's not safe to let upwards of twenty cars through." The sergeant was annoyed, but knew that they were between a rock and hard place. It was really bad luck where the two accidents had happened, and the vehicles that were there were there to stay.

"We gotta get this guy to hospital," Doc reasoned. "If we don't he'll bleed out."

"There's no way we're getting our rig out," Carlos reminded him. "A car can hardly squeeze by those cars."

"Can't you do the transport?" Doc asked Bobby.

"Kim's with a pregnant lady, there's no way she's leaving. What if you take our rig, and we'll meet up at the hospital with yours when we bring in our patient?"

"I guess that's what we'll have to do then."

"Carlos, go get the stretcher.'

Carlos went to get the stretcher, while Bobby and Doc exchanged keys. He came back and the three men lifted him up onto it. Bobby went up ahead to make sure the path was clear, as people had started to get out of their cars to see what was going on. They raced up the sidewalk of the second street till they got to the rig. They loaded

"Bobby!" Kim called.

"No men!" the girl's father protested.

"He's a medic," Kim reasoned.

"I don't want a man who's not a doctor see my daughter like this!"

"Fine. Bobby I need help, I think Yokas is the only other female here, can you get her?"

"Sure," he said, leaving.

Bri smiled at Kim. "I'm sorry my dad's been a little overbearing since he found out I was pregnant."

"That's fine. I'm sure officer Yokas is better for the job anyway, she has two kids."

"After this, I really don't want another one."

"Then you've learned your lesson," the father said.

"You needed me?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Kim replied. "She's going to have the baby here, soon. I need you to just find a way to sit with her."

"Be the like my husband when I was in labour?"

"Exactly! Only you know what's she's going though."

Faith went around and opened the other side car door.

"Hi, there," she said. "I'm Faith, you are?"

"Bri," she answered.

"All right, Bri, I'm not gonna lie to you, this is gonna hurt, but it'll all be worth it when you're through." Bri had a contraction and screamed in pain.

"It hurts," she sobbed.

"You shouldn't have done what it took to get the baby in there," her father scalded.

"Sir, you're not helping," Kim huffed. "If you're not gonna support her, I'll ask you to get out of the car."

Bosco had finished talking to everyone. The only thing they hadn't done was pulled a weapon on him. One little old lady had actually spit at him. He wanted to find Faith to tell her about what had happened.

He couldn't see her. She should have been done too. Bobby was sitting on the bumper of an ambulance, as the fire crew cleaned up the mess from the car with the gas leak.

He noticed that some tow trucks had arrived, and he thought everything would start flowing again soon.

"Where's Yokas?" he asked Bobby.

"Helping Kim."

"Aren't you supposed to be doing that?"

"They're delivering a baby, no boys allowed. Have a seat, we're gonna be here a while yet."

"So what do mean no boys allowed?"

"Teenaged mother, her father doesn't want any more guys looking at his little girl."

"Cause everyone who works for the city is a pedophile?"

Bobby laughed. "I don't ask questions anymore."

"So how long do you think before we're out of here?"

"Whenever the baby's ready, I'd say."

"True. I get to direct traffic while she's gets to help delivery a baby, what a world."

"Would you really want to help?"

"Probably not, might deter me from having sex for a while, my girl- Nicole wouldn't like that too much."

"Did you just go to say the "g" word?"

"No!"

"You were going to."

"How's that coming?" the sergeant barked, at the firefighters.

"If you keep asking them it'll take longer!" Lieutenant Johnston snapped.

"Think they're gonna be have a fight?" Bosco asked.

"If he asks the same question one more time, I wouldn't blame Lieu for punching him." Back at the car, the father had been kicked out of the car, and was pacing next to it. Also making sure no one came too close see what was going on.

"It hurts!" Bri screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I know it does, honey, I wish had something to give you," Kim told her.

"All right, just breathe, this one is over," Faith told her, brushing her hair with her hand.

"I'll never have sex again," she sobbed.

"We all say that, and none of us mean it."

"Not for a long time. Not till I'm married."

Kim smiled. "You're doing a really good job, Bri."

"OWWW!" she screamed as another contraction came.

"Good, the baby's crowning."

"You're getting there Bri," Faith assured the teen.

"All right, I need you to push now, Bri, all right?" Kim instructed her.

"Okay!"

She pushed, Faith was brushing her hair with her hand, as she screamed. Telling her it was okay, while Kim instructed her what to do."

"All right, one more big push should do it, sweetie," Kim said at long last.

The baby came and Kim had it in her arms. Kim was worried, it hadn't started to cry.

"Why isn't it crying?" Bri asked, worried.

"Just a second honey," Kim assured her.

She used the suction cup she had gotten earlier to clear the airway. Still nothing, she got worried. The turned the baby upside and preformed the baby Heimlich very carefully. Unsure what else to do. The baby began to scream.

"See, there we go, her lungs are working just fine," Kim smiled.

"Her?" asked Bri.

"Yes, congratulations, you've got a baby girl."

She wrapped the child up in her FDNY jacket, having nothing else at hand. She then passed the baby over to the teenager. Who looked a little shocked to see the baby in her arms.

"Is there any way we can get to the hospital?" Kim asked.

Faith got out of the car, and looked around. "Yeah, the second one's cleared. You should be able get the bus through."

"All right, you get Bobby and ask him to bring a chair."

Bobby came over, and they helped her onto the chair, and then carried her to the bus. Faith watched, helplessly knowing her job was done, and soon she'd have to go back to directing traffic.

"What about my car?" asked the father.

"Do you want to stay with it?" Faith asked.

"Her mother should be at the hospital, yes."

"All right."

Faith went over to the bus.

"Your father says your mom should be at the hospital," she told Bri.

"All right, thank you for everything, officer," Bri told her. "I'd like it if you came by later to see her."

"Sure."

Kim was sitting in the back with the teenager. Bobby slammed the doors shut, and ran to the driver's seat, and started toward the hospital. Bosco was standing off to the side.

"Emily's not having another birthday," Faith quipped.

"What?"

"That girl was fifteen years old."

"You can't keep her from the big bad world forever. Just hope you teach her how to not make those kinds of mistakes." Faith nodded. "That's one of the smartest things you've ever said."

"Sometimes I surprise myself."

"Can one of you get the traffic going on the side street?" asked the sergeant.

"I'll go," Bosco offered.

"Once that's done, you and your partner can leave."

"Thanks."

It took a little longer then they had planned to be able to leave. Because right as they were about to go, they started clearing the cars from the first accident. And took a while to get them onto the trucks to tow them away. Faith and Bosco just watched from their car.

"So what was it like?" Bosco asked.

"What?" asked Faith.

"Being a medic for a day."

"I'd take this, over that any day, Bos. It was interesting to be on the other side of the delivery, though. Fifteen, my god, I wasn't even thinking about sex at that age."

"I sure was. That's about all I thought about."

She shook her head. "I really need to talk to Emily when I get home."

"She's ten."

"It's never too early."

tbc...

end notes: wow, that was not what i was planning at all... it's not the best action scene in the world, but i think i did an okay job, tell if you think i did some justice, so there's still some more ideas left on this so tell me what you're thinking!


	5. 5

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters not are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently   
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ? SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i kind of like this part, kim and faith spending time with their kids, still bonding before hand, pls tell me what you think hehe... i've got some drama coming and i really hope you like it... pls stayed tuned and tell me if you're digging this fic i love to hear it! 

Later that evening Kim and Faith decided to go visit Bri, and her daughter together. When they entered the room, the teenager didn't seem recognize them. Then Kim said hi, and she recognized the voice.

"Oh, it's you," she said. "You look different."

"It's amazing what a change of clothes can do," Faith laughed. "How are you feeling?"

"Still sore."

"Yeah, you will be for a few days," Kim explained. "How's your daughter?"

"She's good. The doctors said that whatever you did when she wasn't breathing probably saved her life."

Kim smiled. "I was just doing my job."

"What did you name her?" Faith asked.

"I named her after the lady that saved her life, Kim."

Kim blushed. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to. And her middle name is Faith, after you, officer."

Faith smiled. "That was really nice of you."

"You were both so good to me today, it's the only way I could think to thank you."

"You did the hard part, Bri," Kim reminded her.

"But I wouldn't have known what to had you not helped."

A nurse came in, holding the baby. "Who are you visitors?" the nurse asked.

"The people who delivered her, Kim and Faith," Bri told her. "Can you let them hold her?"

"Of course."

The nurse carefully gave the baby to Faith, then left the room. Faith just about melted holding the baby. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her own kids when they were that age. For that moment all her problems disappeared.

"She's beautiful," Faith whispered.

"I can't believe she was really inside of me," Bri said.

"I felt that way when my daughter was born. I just looked at her and wondered how could have possibly made her."

"How old are your kids?"

"My daughter is ten, and my son is eight."

She seemed to mature for her age, Faith thought to herself. She still thought of he own children as babies sometimes. Seeing Bri in the hospital bed made her remember that Emily was only five years younger.

How could her little girl be transformed from what she was, a little girl, to a young woman like she was talking to in only five years? She couldn't wrap her brain around it, and it worried her, a lot.

"You want to hold her?" Faith asked Kim.

"Yeah," she replied.

Faith gave the baby to Kim. She smiled at the baby. She, too let her mind wonder to when her son was that age. He was growing up too fast, she thought, as she looked at the newborn in her arms.

"It's been so long since I've held a new born," Kim laughed. "This almost makes me want to have another one."

"Really?" asked Bri.

"Yeah, my son's six now I don't get to cuddle him anymore."

"They grow up so fast," Faith sighed.

"My parents have been saying that a lot of late," Bri laughed.

"I would imagine. If my daughter was pregnant I know I'd be saying that."

"I was gonna give her up for adoption at first. But then I started feeling her moving around inside me, and I couldn't even think about it anymore. It's gonna be hard but I'm gonna be a good mom."

Kim was still holding the baby, who started to fuss a little.

"I think someone wants to go see Mommy," Kim said.

She then gave the baby to Bri. Who smiled at her, still not believing it was all real. A doctor came into the room.

"Who are your visitors?" he asked.

"Her namesakes, Kim and Faith," Bri replied.

"Which one of you is Kim?"

"I am," Kim said, unsure of herself.

"I have to tell you, if you ever wanted to be a doctor instead, you should seriously consider delivering babies. It had to take some quick thinking in the middle of street to start the baby breathing."

Kim blushed. "I just did what I thought would work best under the circumstances."

"You did an excellent job, I must say."

"Thank you."

"How are you feeling, Bri?" he asked his patient.

"I'm feeling all right."

"It's almost time for another feeding, so I'll send the first nurse who is free to help you out, all right?"

"All right, thank you."

The doctor, smiled, then left the room.

"Was it weird?" Bri asked them.

"What?" asked Faith.

"When you started nursing?"

"Very weird," Faith laughed.

"Yeah, at first it was so strange, but you get used to it," Kim assured her. "But we should probably go if you have to feed her."

"All right, thank you so much for stopping by," said the teenager.

"No problem, we'll see you later," said Faith.

"All right, bye!"

"Bye," said Kim.

The two women left the room. Then looked at each other.

"Coffee?" Kim offered.

"I think that would be a good idea."

They went down to the hospital cafeteria for a coffee.

"I've never wanted to get home to my kids so much," Faith said, sitting down across from her friend.

"I know, I just want to go home and watch my son for a few hours before I can't anymore."

"Have you ever had to deliver a baby before?"

She shook her head. "Today was defiantly a first, and hopefully a last."

She laughed. "Why a last?"

"Cause if I see too much of that I'll never give my son that little brother or sister he keeps asking for."

"Have you told him you need to find a daddy first?"

Kim laughed. "He think that his own daddy will do just fine."

"He still wants you two back together?"

"Some days he does. So how as your first day as a medic?"

"I wouldn't want to do that again. I really don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"That baby wasn't breathing, you had to think fast, and do the right thing to save it. I could never keep calm under those circumstances."

"I was a nervous wreck, but I couldn't let the patient know it. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I wanted to hang it upside down and smack it like in old TV shows." Kim laughed.

"What did you do?"

"Just a quick baby Heimlich, it's the only thing I could think that might be safe. You just learn to do what you have to do to save a life. Besides, I could never do your job."

Faith shrugged. "I guess it's just a matter of what you chose?"

"Pretty much. I hate to cut this short, but I'd really like to get home to my little boy."

"Yeah, I'm kind of excited to see my two as well."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

They both got up, and gave each other a hug, then headed to their respective homes.

Kim stopped by her mother's to pick up her son.

"Bobby's not with you tonight?" Catherine asked her daughter.

"I wanted to stop by the hospital and check on someone," Kim replied.

"And he didn't go with you?"

She shrugged. "Not really a guy thing."

Catherine looked at her daughter quizzically. "Did you two have another fight?"

"No, nothing like that! I promise, Mom. We're still trying to figure out where we want this to go."

She nodded, knowing her daughter didn't want to talk about her partner.. "So, how was your day?".

"All right," she replied. "I delivered a baby today."

"Really?"

"Yeah, got on the scene of an accident, where the traffic wasn't moving and in one of the cars there was a fifteen year old in labour."

"Fifteen years old?"

"I know, I couldn't even imagine having a child that young, but she did. She says she's going to keep it too."

"Wow. Why did you have to deliver it?"

"The girl's father wouldn't let any of the guys near her. I had to ask Faith to help me, comfort the girl."

"Who's Faith?"

"One of the officers from across the street, we're friends."

"I see."

"There was no way to get her to the hospital, so I had to do it. It was unreal, Mom. Then when she had it, the baby wasn't crying, so I had to get her breathing. I actually did all, right there in the car! It was amazing!"

Catherine laughed. "Thinking of a career change?"

She laughed. "No, I would be very happy if today was the first and last time I had to do that. I'd never have another one if I had to see that on daily basis."

"Was it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl, she named it after me."

"Really?"

Kim nodded. Then she heard stomping coming from the other room. Joey came running up to her, and hugged her leg.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed.

She picked him up and kissed him on the cheek. "Are you all ready to go home?"

"Yeah! Is Bobby here tonight?"

"No, not tonight sweetheart."

"All right." He looked upset.

"Do you like it when Bobby's around?" Catherine asked her grandson.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I like Bobby a lot!"

"What would you do if your mommy and Bobby got married?"

Kim shot her mother a nasty look. She had not told Joey that she was seeing Bobby yet. He thought they were still friends like always.

"Bobby and Mommy can't get married," Joey told his grandmother.

"Why not?"

"Cause Mommy's gonna marry Daddy again."

Kim sighed. "Joey, we've talked about this before."

He looked up at her. "But I want you to get married again."

"I know you do, sweetie, but it's better this way, one day you'll understand."

He looked a little dejected. "All right."

"I'll see you later, Mom," she said hugging her mother.

"See you tomorrow Grandma, love you!" said Joey.

"Love you, too." Catherine told him giving him a hug.

Kim took Joey's hand, and they got into the awaiting cab. Joey looked upset.

"Are you mad that daddy and me aren't going to get married again?" she asked him.

"I don't understand why you can't be married anymore."

"Joey, do you remember how much we used to fight?"

He nodded. "You still do."

"I know, but at least this way you don't have to hear it all the time."

"But at school," he said.

"I know they tell you it's a sin at school. I wish I could find a way to explain everything to you, but I don't know how just yet. Once you get older you'll understand, I promise."

"Why do I have to wait till I'm bigger to find out everything?"

"Cause right now all you need to know is that your daddy and me think that us not being married is the best thing for us, and for you." He hugged him, kissing him on the forehead. "I'll tell you what, Bobby and me have to tell you something. On my next day off we'll treat you like a big boy, and we'll bring you out for supper and everything to tell you what's going on, all right?"

He smiled. "All right. You and Bobby aren't getting married are you?"

She laughed. "No, honey that's not what we're going to tell you."

Now she just needed to tell Bobby what she had told him. She knew he would have no problem with it. She was actually kind of excited to tell him that they were going out. She knew that if he was going accept anyone it would be Bobby.

XX

When Faith got home, no one else was up. Not even her husband. He was in the bedroom, which annoyed her a little bit. But at that moment she didn't care. She looked into the kid's room. She kissed Charlie on the forehead, then kissed Emily's forehead.

"Mommy?" Emily asked.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

"No, I was trying to stay awake to tell you something."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"I got my test back, the one you helped me study for, and I got an "A." Thank you for all your help."

Faith smiled. "No problem, Em, that's my job."

Faith looked at her daughter, and wondered how it was that she'd be transformed into a young woman in only five years. In Faith's eyes she was still a little girl who needed help with so much. Five years was not a long time for her to change that much. She just hoped that she and Fred had taught her enough not to get in that kind of trouble.

"Mommy, is something wrong?" Emily asked.

"No, Emily, nothing's wrong. Just something I saw today, made me think. How about we get some hot chocolate in the kitchen so we don't wake up your brother?"

Hot chocolate when she got home from work was something they shared on a regular basis, and it was one of the ways she knew her daughter so well.

She smiled. "All right."

Emily climbed out of bed, and followed her mother to the kitchen. Emily loved hot chocolate nights with her mother. It was the only time she got her mother all to herself, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Faith made two mugs of hot chocolate, adding extra mini marshmallows to one. She gave the one with marshmallows to her daughter, who had sat down at the table.

"Emily, promise me you'll tell me when you start noticing boys, all right?" she asked, sitting down across from her daughter.

"I notice 'em, all right!" laughed Emily. "They're all buttheads."

"When you don't feel like that about them anymore, I want you to tell me right away, all right? Can you promise me that?"

"I don't think that I will, but okay, Mom, I promise."

"Thank you, Emily."

"Why are you worried about me and boys?"

"Just something I saw at work today. Just made me realize that you're not a kid anymore, and that you're going to be a teenager before I know it."

"I am aren't I?" Emily asked, smiling.

Faith nodded. "You are, you're growing faster then I'd like you to, Em."

"Not fast enough!"

"Why do you say that?"

Emily shrugged. "Just some of the older girls at school have been bugging me."

"Why?"

"Cause of some of my clothes, and because I have to keep an eye out for Charlie."

"What's wrong with your clothes?"

"They said they're babyish."

"Do you think they are?"

"No."

"Do your friends think they are?"

"Of course not! They wear the same kinds of clothes!" Emily laughed.

"Then what's the problem?"

Emily smiled. "I guess you're right. I just don't like it when they tease me."

"No one does, Emily, but some people like hurting other people."

"What about Charlie?"

"You know, no one's been asking you to keep and eye out for Charlie anymore. We just wanted you to help him when school was new to him. I think he can probably find his way around by himself now."

"Really?"

Faith nodded. "You've done a good job helping out until now, maybe we can try letting him find his own way around now. You always meet at the sitter, or your father at the same place after school, right?"

"Yeah."

"All right, good. So tomorrow why don't you ask Charlie if he thinks he's big enough to find his way back there by himself after school?"

"That might work!"

"So, if he thinks he is, then that's the problem solved, right?"

"Right."

"Try not to listen to what the older girls have to say. If you like your clothes then that's all that matters, right?"

"Yeah." She was playing with her mug. "So am I really gonna start looking at boys different soon?"

"Probably."

"Will they grow up and stop being buttheads?"

Faith laughed. "Probably not."

"Then why would I be interested in them?"

"It's just something that happens when you grow up. It's hard to explain."

Emily laughed. "I do promise that you'll be the first one to know if I like a boy."

"I hope you don't change your mind when it happens."

"Why are you so worried about me and boys all of a sudden?"

Faith shook her head. "Just something I saw at work today."

"What did you see today?"

"I was at the scene of an accident and a fifteen year old girl had a baby."

"Really? That's really young to have a baby."

"I know, only five years older then you are."

She laughed. "Don't worry about me, Mom, I don't want to ever have a baby."

Faith laughed. "You might change your mind."

"I doubt it, Mom. After Daddy told me where babies came from I don't think I ever want to do that."

Faith was a little annoyed the Fred had told their daughter where babies came from without her one day. He hadn't gotten into the whole puberty thing, but Emily had refused to believe in the stork, and wouldn't relent until he told her where babies really came from.

"Sometimes mistakes can happen, Emily," Faith told her daughter. "If you decide you can't talk to me, remember that, mistake happen, so be careful."

"I will, I promise."

"Good," Faith smiled.

"I would really like to keep talking to you, but I'm really tired. Goodnight, Mom."

"Good night Emily," she said.

She stopped at the door to her room. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you to, Emily."

She curled up on the couch, but had trouble falling asleep. The day had been long, and she had seen more then she would have liked to have. She knew that she'd regret not making Fred give up the bed in the morning, but at that moment she couldn't deal with him.

XX

A few minutes later she got up, and went to the doorway of the kid's room. She just watched as they slept. She smiled, thinking about all the good times they had had together. After a long moment, she went back to the couch, and fell asleep only moments later, happy thoughts of her children filling her mind.

At Kim's they were just getting ready for bed. Joey was in his fire engine pajamas, and Kim was wearing a long night shirt.

"What story do you want?" she asked him.

"The three bears," he replied.

She went to his shelf, and got the book. She then got into the bed with him. He curled up next to her, on her stomach, so that he was laying down, but could still see the pictures.

"Once upon a time there were three bears…" Kim started.

She got a few pages in, and she noticed that his breath had slowed and he had fallen asleep. She kissed him lightly on the forehead, savoring the moment with him. She knew that before long she wouldn't be able to do this.

She closed the book, and placed it carefully on the floor next to the bed, having nowhere else to put it. She didn't want to wake him again, fearing that he might not get back to sleep.

She knew that if she stayed there the night her back would be sore in the morning, but the pain the next day would be worth it to be able to spend a little more time with her son. All and all it wasn't the worst place to be spending the night.

She was glad to be so close to her son. She felt like she didn't spend enough time with him. She knew that she had to work all the hours so that he'd have a roof over his head, and food in his stomach. Even so she felt like she was missing out on a lot of quality time with him.

end

end notes: i was gonna have something else, but i bumped it tot he next part, i thought some interation with their kids would be really approprite (i think i may of goofed on ages) anyway, tell me what you think about this fic, i really like to hear it, more drama coming soon you'll see!


	6. 6

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently   
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ?  
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: all right this one's about kim telling joey that she's dating bobby, i know i've been focusing on her a lot, and i promise there's some mega drama coming faith's way which includes bosco so stay tuned for THAT, reviews always graciously accepted, thank you to everyone who has dropped a line about this fic it really makes me feel like i'm writing this for the masses and not just cause i feel like it!

ookay since it's not letting me use my usual time break denatation from here on in XX is for meanwhile and xxxx is for a time break sorry of the confusion

Kim was in the bathroom putting on some makeup. Bobby was going to be there any minutes. They were going out for supper. They were bringing Joey along to tell him what was going on between them.

It was her day off, and she was happy for the break. She spent the entire day playing with Joey. He didn't know why he was getting the extra attention, but he was glad for it. After seeing that girl have a baby at fifteen, she wanted to spend every spare moment she had with him.

"Where are we going Mommy?" asked Joey, entering the bathroom.

"I told you, we're going out," she told him.

"Out where?"

"To a restaurant."

"With Daddy?"

"No, honey, not with Daddy."

"With who then?"

"With Bobby."

"Okay."

There was a buzz at the door.

"Can you let Bobby in honey?" she asked.

"Okay!" he replied.

He scampered off to find the phone to let Bobby up, then opened the door when he heard him knock two quick taps in a row.

"Bobby!" he exclaimed, happy to see him.

"I missed you too Joey!" Bobby said, excitedly. "So did your mother tell you what's going on?"

"She said that we're all going for supper cause you need to tell me something."

"All right, good. Where is she?"

"Putting on her face."

Kim came out of the bathroom. "Where did you hear that?"

"Daddy."

Kim sighed, why did he teach him things like that? Jimmy always complained about not seeing Joey enough. But whenever he did he'd either get sick from eating the wrong things, or he'd learn a new phrase she didn't like.

"So how about I tell you what we need to tell you, before we go out?" Kim asked.

"Okay!" said Joey, excited to hear the news.

"Bobby's gonna be around her a little bit more from now on."

"Why?"

"Because Bobby's my boyfriend now."

"Oh," he looked upset.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked him.

"So Mommy's your girlfriend now?"

"Yeah."

"Mommy you can't be Bobby's girlfriend." He told his mother, with a very serious expression on his face.

"Why not?" she asked him.

"Because whenever Daddy has a girlfriend, I see her once, and then I don't see her again. I don't want you or Bobby to go away!"

"We're not going anywhere, that's why we told you the truth."

"No, but all of Daddy's girlfriends go away."

"How many have you met?"

He looked at the floor. "It's supposed to be a secret."

"All right, I'll talk to you your daddy tomorrow."

"Hey Joey, do you know what a pinky promise is?" Bobby asked him, crouching down, to be eye to eye with him.

"No," he replied.

"It's a special kind of promise, that you seal with a pinky shake, so it's even worse if you break it. It's worse then hope to die and stick a needle in your eye."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so I'm gonna pinky promise you, that I'm not gonna go away from you or your mommy for a very long time."

His eyes light up. "All right!"

"Good now hold out your pinky, and I'll hold out mine, and we just kind of move so that a pinkies are curled together." He did as Bobby had told him. "I pinky promise you, Joey, that me and your mom aren't going anywhere for a long time."

He smiled. "Okay."

"Joey, do you have your jacket?" Kim asked him.

"No," he replied.

"Got get it, please."

He went into his room. Leaving Kim and Bobby alone. She smiled at him, and kissed him lightly.

"Thank you for that," she told him.

"It's the only thing I could think of to calm him down."

"It seems to have worked. I really need to talk to Jimmy about who he's introducing him to."

"Good idea." He leaned in and kissed her again.

"Ewww! Cooties!" Joey said, coming out of his room.

"You ready to go?" Kim asked him.

"Yup!"

They all left the small apartment, to go for supper.

XX

Across town Fred had just come home from his first AA meeting. The kids were at their grandparent's as Fred decided to celebrate actually going through with his first AA meeting when his wife got home from work.

He even found some candles to put on the table to make it more romantic. He had bought heat and serve lasagna hoping that it would all be ready when Faith came in. The door opened only a few minutes after he had put it in the oven.

She smiled at him, when she realized what he had planned. She looked quizzically at the wine glasses on the table, until she noticed a bottle of apple juice on the table between two candles.

"I wanted to celebrate going to my first meeting," he told his wife.

She smiled at him. "That'll be nice."

"I'll pick up the kids when we're done, all right?"

"I really like the sound of that."

It was not long before the lasagna was warmed. He went into the kitchen, cut two pieces, put them onto two plates, then joined his wife at the table. Handing her one plate. She smiled at him.

They ate in relative silence, he then cleared and washed the plates. She had gone into the living room. She knew she would have to talk to him at some point. He joined her on the couch. He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"How was the meeting?" she asked him.

"It was good, not really what I thought it would be," he told her.

"What were you expecting?"

He shrugged. "Not that, I guess. I mean, it was good, talked to lots of people about drinking, and how they cope with their urges to start drinking again."

"That sounds good."

He nodded. "It really was, I'm glad I decided to go. I'm sure that with the therapist and these meetings we'll be just fine."

"I hope so."

"How are we doing?"

"We're still not good Fred."

She had wanted to lie, but she knew that would make things worse. She was far from a point where she could trust him again. They had been taking turns sleeping on the couch, and she knew it was getting to him.

"What do I have to do?" he asked.

"You've gone to one meeting, and we've been to one therapy session. This isn't going to get fixed that quickly."

"I just want things to be back to normal around here."

"I want that too, really, I do, Fred. I just don't feel like we're close to being there."

"Is anything I can do going to be enough?"

"I want it to be, but it's not going to be fixed in a few days. Go to a few more meetings, go a little longer without drinking. Go to more therapy sessions, that's how this is going to get fixed. There isn't a quick fix here Fred, and I'm sorry if you thought that there as going to be."

He looked upset. "So what do we do in the meantime?"

"What we're doing."

"What about the kids?"

"What about them?"

"They just have to see us sleeping on the couch?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather them see that, then hear us fighting again. I'm just not there yet, Fred. I'm happy your first meeting went well, but I don't know that you'll go to the next one, I need to be sure you're actually doing it for real this time, before I let you back in again."

"I just want to know when you're going to start acting like my wife again."

"When I'm ready Fred. We had a great meal, and I thought we were making progress and then you start getting on my back again!"

"Is it a crime to want to be with my wife now?"

"I don't want to fight! I'm just not ready for everything to go back to how they were! Once I know that you're not falling back in the same routine again, then I'll trust you again. Until then, you have accept that I need you at arm's length."

He sighed. "Why are you so afraid of me all of a sudden?"

"I'm not afraid of you! I'm afraid to fall back into the rut we were in before. I can't have that Fred! I can't live with that any more, and our kids shouldn't have to. Give it some time, if you can do that, then it might get better."

"Do you still love me?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question, Faith, do you still love me?"

"If I didn't love you do think I'd still be here?"

"Right now I just don't know."

"Love is about more then our sex life, love is sticking by someone even though they've made mistakes. I'm trying to do that Fred, but no matter how much I love you, I can't stick by you if you start drinking again. I can't do that!"

"So it's all about my drinking, and nothing about you?"

"I know that I'm not here as much as I should be, all right? But I need to work to keep food on the table and roof over our heads."

"Why can't you just get a normal job?"

"Because despite how much I complain about what the city pays, I'd make less at any other job I'm qualified for. Besides, I actually like my job most days, do you want to deny me that?"

He shook his head. "I'm just frustrated."

She nodded. "Look, a few more weeks on this path, and I'll believe that it's for real this time, all right?"

"I'm gonna do it, Faith."

"I want you to, I don't want to see you fail. We've worked so hard to get here."

He smiled at her. "I'll go get the kids before we start fighting again."

"Good idea."

He left the house, and she began to calm down. She knew that he was on right track, but she had to make sure he stuck with it. Once she knew that he was sticking to it, then she'd know that it was all worth it.

She just couldn't let her guard down until she knew for sure that the changes in him were going to be permanent. She knew they had to be making progress since they weren't still fighting.

He had accepted her explanation for why she wanted to wait a little longer to let him back in completely. He knew he was lucky that she had let him back in the house, and he was grateful, but he missed things the old way, when things were good between them.

They both missed not having the pendulum of divorce over their heads, but only time could stop it's swing. They both just hoped that the drinking would not start again, and they could be a real family again.

XX

Kim, Bobby, and Joey were coming back from the restaurant. In the backseat Joey had fallen asleep. Kim looked back to check on him.

"I think we tired him out," she said.

Bobby quickly glanced behind him, then looked back the road.

"So we did," he replied. "When we get to your place I'll just carry him to his room if you'd like."

"That's a good idea."

He pulled up to the apartment building. Kim got out, and opened the back door. Bobby carefully picked up the sleeping child, he hardly flinched. Kim went ahead opening doors for them.

When they got to Joey's bedroom Kim pulled back the sheets, and Bobby placed him on the bed. She carefully removed his shoes, and socks, then his jacket. She pulled his blanket over him, kissed him on the forehead, then they both left the room.

They went into the living room, and got comfortable on the couch. She snuggled up to him. He took her hand, as she laid her head on his chest.

"Do you want another one?" he asked, her, running his other hand through her hair.

"I could deal with one more. Joey wants a little or brother really bad, he asks Santa for one every Christmas."

Bobby laughed. "I've always wanted a couple of kids."

"That doesn't surprise me, you're great with Joey. You'll make a great father one day."

He smiled at her. "You think?"

"You're better with Joey then Jimmy is most of the time, that has to tell you something."

"Jimmy's Joey's father, I can't be better then him."

"You are. You just know what to do with a kid. Jimmy treats him like a little adult, when what he wants is to be a kid."

Bobby nodded. "You have to let kids be kids."

She nodded, then leaned in to kiss him. He kissed her lightly, but pulled away before it got too heated.

"We're taking this slowly, Kim, remember?" he asked her.

"I know, but-" she tried to argue.

"Let's keep going really slowly. I should be getting home."

"Stay?"

"Not tonight, sorry."

She nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too, and that's why I have to leave."

She nodded, grudgingly, and he left the apartment. She knew he was right, she was still too uncertain about everything to take it any further. She knew she loved him, but she always knew that sleeping with him could still ruin everything again.

She had to make sure she didn't do that again now that her son was expecting them to be together for a while.

She got into her pajamas, checked on her son, who was still sleeping, then crawled into bed. For a while she laid awake thinking about how she'd ask Jimmy about who he had been introduction their son to. She was finally able to fall asleep by letting her thoughts drift to Bobby.

xxxx

Faith and Kim had decided to meet for quick coffee before work. They both needed to vent from the night before. Faith arrived a little later then she had hoped, so their coffee time would be cut short.

"Good morning," said Faith, sitting down across from her friend.

Kim smiled. "Good morning."

"How was your day off?"

"Wonderful, I spent most of the day playing with Joey. Then Bobby came over and we told him that we were dating."

"How did he take?"

"Better then I thought he would. Other then he thinks that a girlfriend is someone he meets once, and then never sees again."

Faith was puzzled. "Why would he think that?"

"It would seem that my ex husband has been introducing him to some of his girlfriends. Joey only sees them once, and then he never sees them again."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so when I told him Bobby was my boyfriend now, he told me I couldn't be Bobby's girlfriend, or one of us would go away."

"Poor thing. What did you do?"

Kim shook her head. "Bobby pinky promised him he wouldn't go away for a long time."

Faith smiled. "Did it work?"

"Yeah it did, but now I need to talk to Jimmy."

"I'm sure that'll be fun."

Kim laughed. "I just want to know how many people he's introduced our son to."

"That's understandable."

"Your husband had his fire AA meeting last night, didn't he?" asked Kim, needing to change the subject.

"Yeah, he did."

"And?"

"He said it went well. He even made me supper."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he wants everything to go back to how it was."

"Oh."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, I told him that I really wasn't ready for that just yet, and he seemed really hurt by it."

"What, did he expect to go to one AA meeting and a therapy session and everything be magically fixed?"

"Apparently. Don't get me wrong, I want our marriage to work, but it's not going to be fixed overnight."

"I understand. If he really want it to work he'll be able to accept your terms."

"You're right, I know you are. It's just so hard."

"No one ever said it'd be easy."

"You've got a point there. Just give it time, if it still doesn't feel right, then you know what you have to do."

Faith smiled. "Yeah."

"Besides with an ex husband you get all the headaches minus the sex."

Faith laughed. "I'll remember that!"

"I should go deal with my headache."

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks, I need it."

Kim went over to the firehouse. She got ready for work before she went to find her ex husband. She found him lounging with a bunch of the guys before his shift started. They were all laughing.

"Jimmy we need to talk," she said.

"Aww, Kimmy can't it wait?" he asked.

"No, I'm here now."

"I'm right in the middle of something."

"I'll just start talking in front of everyone until you start listening."

"What's this about?"

"Joey."

"Oh, what now?" He asked, standing up, walking away from the others.

"Who have you introduced him to?"

"Well it's not like I keep him a secret, Kim. Everyone here knows he's my kid."

"I mean of the female persuasion, Jimmy, how many of your one night girlfriends have you introduced him to?"

"Don't you remember, we had a conversation about this? We agreed that we wouldn't introduce him to anyone without consulting each other."

"Yeah, I do remember that conversation, Joey told me something last night that made me think that I may have imagined the whole thing."

"Who'd you introduce him to?"

"That's not the problem here! Besides I think everyone around her knows who I'm seeing."

"So it's okay for you to introduce him to someone without telling you, but I can't?"

"If it was one someone I wouldn't really give a rats ass!"

"What makes you think that I've introduced him to more then one girlfriend?"

"Our son thinks that the definition of girlfriend is that you see her once, and then she goes away. After I told him who I was dating I had to assure him that I was not going to go away."

The group of firefighters were snickering in the background, trying not laugh. Kim glared at them, and they snuck around them, and left the room.

"Are you honestly trying to tell me that last night was the first time you've introduced Joey to one of your male visitors?"

"Yes, Jimmy, I try to keep my personal life, what little I have, separate from him. Since you had so much less time with him I assumed you had been too."

"Well you know what happens when you assume."

She shook her head. "I'm not asking you to tell me to let me know everyone you introduce him to, cause honestly I don't want to keep track of all your girlfriends. I know you're not one for commitment but just introduce him to girls you're somewhat serious about."

He was about to say something, but the fire bell went, and they had to get ready to go out.

XX

"How did Fred's meeting go?" Bosco asked his partner, as they got into the car to start their day.

"From what I understand it went well," Faith replied.

"That's good, so are things between you and him, you know, good?"

"We're not there yet, Bos."

He nodded. "So you don't want to know how good things are with me and Nicole?"

She shook heard. "Not really."

"Your loss."

"I'm sure."

"Five-five Charlie, come in," the radio crackled.

Faith was never so glad for an interruption. They raced off to the scene of a fire for crowd control.

tbc...

end notes: all right so that's this one, i have some drama on deck for this one, and some more faith stuff cause there's been a lot about kim so it'll all be evened out soon i promise! pls r&r i love to know what ppl are thinking about what i'm writing...


	7. 7

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently (sex is implied but nothing graphic, if you have a visual mind nudity)  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ? faith/bosco ?  
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: this little plot bunny burrowed in my head and would not leave until it was on paper (screen what have you) i like to stay away from the b/f shippiness but it fits, you'll see what i mean... 

Fred had been going to AA for four weeks now. Faith was finally ready to tell him that she thought it was time they have a night alone. She had asked her mother to watch the kids for the night. She had planned a whole evening, and she was on her way to make it happen.

She was looking out the window of the cab, when she saw Fred. She could recognize him anywhere. They had passed him a moment before, and she had asked the cab driver to pull over so that he could get a ride with them.

She watched out the back window, ready to jump out and startle him as he passed the cab. But he didn't walk past her, instead he entered a bar.

Faith was devastated, instead of going home after his AA meeting he had gone to a bar. She knew logically that he may not be drinking, but what else would an alcoholic do in a bar? Part of her wanted to cry, while part of her wanted to go into the bar and drag him, and tell him it was over.

Her mind was reeling. Had he been lying to her about where he had been going? She watched the bar for a few minutes, to see if he would just leave, but he didn't. She knew that he was drinking again. She needed to talk to someone.

She immediately picked up her phone to call Kim, and got no answer. She cursed, and wondered who she could talk to. The only person who came to mind was Bosco. She instructed the cab driver to go to his address.

She buzzed up to his apartment, and he let her up. She knocked on the door, and he let her in.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"It's Fred, he's drinking again," she replied.

"Why'd you come to me?"

"Cause I couldn't think of anyone else."

"What about Kim?"

"Couldn't reach her. I just really need to talk to someone."

He nodded. "Well make yourself at home. I'm sorry the place is a mess."

She looked around the apartment, and it was very messy. It didn't really surprise her. Since he and Nicole had stopped seeing each other he didn't do much of anything. There were pizza boxes and left over Chinese containers all over the place.

She pushed some clothes off the couch and sat down. He sat down next to her.

"How do you know he's drinking again?" he asked.

"I was on my way home, and I saw him go into a bar."

"That doesn't mean he's drinking."

"He's supposed to be at AA tonight. I don't think they have field trips to bars."

He nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Why aren't I worth it?" she asked, starting to cry.

"Worth what?" Bosco asked, not sure what to do for his partner.

"Worth quitting for! Worth actually trying to make it work! I told him, Bos. I told him if he started drinking again I'd leave him!"

"You're worth it, Faith. He doesn't know what he's losing." He wrapped his arm around her back, hoping to comfort her.

"You're just saying that."

"No, you are worth the fight. I know if you were my wife I'd do just about anything to keep you."

She smiled. "You're not very convincing."

"I'm not good at this. But I do know that he should have tried for you, and for your kids. He knew what was on the line. I think he's pretty stupid to pick a drink over someone as amazing as you."

"Amazing huh?"

"Yeah, amazing. You work all the time, and you know your kids better then a lot of people. You're great at your job. Even though you didn't think he deserved it, you gave Fred the benefit of the doubt, and didn't leave his sorry ass when he went to go pick up those kids drunk. On top of all that you keep me in line at work. That to me, is a pretty good definition of amazing."

She looked up at him. "You really think that?"

"Yeah. You're more then worth it. Also if I was Fred, I'd be worried about losing such a pretty girl."

"All right, don't hurt yourself now."

She thought it was nice that he was being so nice, but that was taking it a little far. She knew that there was no way the Maurice Boscorelli thought she was attractive. But she was glad he was trying to help her feel better.

"You are, actually I think you're more then pretty," he assured her.

"This is just getting-"

He interrupted her by kissing her. She relaxed into the kiss for a moment, then realized who it was she was kissing. She pulled way, quickly.

"Bos," she whispered, unsure what she wanted to say.

"Let me make it better," he told her, brushing her face with his hand.

"I'm married."

"You said you'd leave him if he started drinking again."

"But I'm still-"

He kissed her again. "I don't care that you don't have a piece of paper saying you're single again. I know you have felt that way for a long time."

"I don't want you to work the Boscorelli charm on me."

"If you really didn't want me to you would have left a while ago. I know you very well, remember? You play by the books all the time, it's time you break a few rules."

She leaned over and kissed him, but quickly pulled away. "I can't do this, I'm still-"

"Don't think," he said interrupting her. "Faith, just feel. I'm going to kiss you again, and if you pull away this time, I'll stop and never try this again."

He leaned in to kiss her, and she didn't pull away. She wrapped her arms around his waist, wanting him closer. She deepened the kiss after a moment. He ran his hand through her hair. Glad to finally be able to touch her. He pulled way.

"Was that so bad?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

"How far do you want to take this?"

"Let's see where it goes."

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that."

He leaned in to kiss her again, and she didn't even fight it. She was already addicted to his kisses. She didn't care that she was still technically married. She had known it was over the second she saw Fred going into that bar.

XX

Kim was on a date with Bobby that night, and that's why Faith hadn't been able to reach her. Bobby had arranged for her mother to take Joey for the night, so they could go on a real date. They had been seeing each other for a little over a month, but they mostly stayed in. The few times they had gone anywhere Joey was there too.

Bobby loved her son, but he wanted some alone time with his girlfriend. He had even convinced her to turn off her cell phone. Assuring her that if something happened to Joey her mother could handle it.

"Where are we going?" Kim asked.

"You sound like Joey," Bobby laughed. "We're almost there, it's a surprise."

"Fine, what else do you have up your sleeve?"

"You'll see when the time is right."

She smiled at him. "You know I would have been just as happy to stay in with you."

"As much as I'd like that, I want to make tonight special."

"You're too much, sometimes you know that?"

He pulled up to a curb, then parked the car.

"We're here," he said, ignoring her previous statement.

"And where is here?" she asked.

"You'll see."

They both got out of the car, then he walked around the car to meet her on the side with the sidewalk. He took her hand, and they went into a restaurant.

"Do you have reservations?" asked the small oriental hostess, when they got inside.

"Yes, under Caffey," replied Bobby.

"Follow me."

She brought them to their table. Kim sat down, and Bobby tucked her in before taking his seat. The hostess gave them each a menu, then left.

"Japanese?" asked Kim.

"I thought it would be a nice change. I hope you like it," he said.

"As long as they have something other then sushi."

Bobby laughed. "Of course they do. Open your menu and look."

She opened the menu, and began looking at what was offered. She was surprised by the variety, and thought she might even try some sushi, if Bobby did.

"Bobby this place is so expensive," Kim whispered.

"Don't worry about it, Kim, get whatever you'd like."

She smiled. "You're too good to me."

"Stop saying that, you deserve every bit of it."

"What else do you have planned?"

"Desert."

She smiled at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, you just wait and see, the surprises haven't even started yet."

"I like the sound of that."

XX

Back at Bosco's he and Faith were still on his couch. Bosco had lost his shirt, and his hands were under Faith's. She had her arms around his waist. They were making out like they were teenagers again.

"Oh!" she gasped, pulling away.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to touch you," Bosco told her, moving one hand to run through her hair.

"Are you sure we should do this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," he assured her.

He went to kiss her again, but she pulled away.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea, Bos," Faith whispered.

"Why not?"

"I know you track record, this will never work out."

He smiled at her. "I'm not talking about marriage here, Faith. I'm not even asking for a relationship after tonight, if you don't want one. All I want to do is make you feel like the amazing woman you are again."

"So we do this tonight, what about work tomorrow?"

"We just act like we always do, if that's what you want. Tonight I just want you to know that you're not the problem, it's him."

She smiled at him. "I think you've made that point quiet clear already."

"Tell me you never thought about what it would be like to be with me. I know I've thought about what it would be like to be with you."

"You have?"

"Of course I have, you're beautiful, you really are. You were always just out of reach, and that made me crazy."

She was starting to feel a little nervous. Sure she had thought about being with him, what straight female with a pulse didn't? But she also knew she was married, and not even close to his type.

But here they were, making out on his couch like a couple of teenagers. He was really there, telling her that he wanted to be with her. Telling her that she was beautiful, and worth fighting for.

She knew that her marriage was over, and Fred knew that it would be if he was ever caught at that bar. So what was the problem? She didn't want to be married anymore, and neither did Fred.

So there was nothing to say that legally she wasn't married anymore, but she felt it. She had felt it for a long time, and tired to pretend there was something there for her kids. But the feelings weren't there. Even if it ended up being a one night stand, who would know about it?

There was no point in pretending anymore, she had already crossed a line she should not have crossed by not stopping him. So where was the harm in taking it all the way? If she was going to forget her marriage vows, she may as well go the whole way.

"Faith?" he asked. "Do you really want to do this, this is the point of no return."

"Yes, I want to do this. I want to feel like a complete woman again."

He smiled at her. "I think I can take care of that."

He stood up, and offered his hand. She took it, and he lead her to his bedroom.

"So this is your room," Faith said.

"Yeah, this is where the magic happens, for the most part," he told her.

It looked like any other bachelor's bedroom. It was a mess like the rest of the house, except the bed was clear of clutter, but it was unmade. She stood there for a long moment, making sure she really wanted to do it.

She didn't think for long. She ran her hand along his chest, then pulled him toward her, and kissed him, hard. He pulled way.

"This is the last time I'm going to ask you, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," she hissed, pushing him onto the bed.

XX

Bobby and Kim had finished eating, and were on their way back to Bobby's place. She knew what was going to happen, and she was surprised that she was nervous. It wasn't as if she had never been with him before.

Of course, this time was going to be different. She wasn't just having sex with him to make him feel better. She was going to be making love to him, because they were in love. He pulled up to his building, and they both got out of the car.

"We can wait longer, if you'd like," Bobby offered.

"No, I'm ready," she assured him.

He took her hand, and lead her upstairs to his apartment. She was not at all surprised that Bobby's apartment was almost spotless.

"Just wait here a second," he told her, going into his room.

She stood in the living room, for a moment, until he came back. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close. He then placed his lips on hers for a soft kiss.

"Mmm," she purred, at the sensation.

"This is just the beginning," he reminded her, pulled away. "Now close your eyes."

She closed her eyes, and he took her hand, and lead her into his bedroom. Upon entering the room she could smell burning candles.

"All right open them," he instructed her.

She opened her eyes, and saw candles lit all over the bedroom. She smiled at him. Then one of the bed side tables she saw a vase with a dozen long stemmed roses.

"Bobby," she whispered. "You didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to."

He covered her mouth with his again. She wrapped her arms around him, running one hand through his hair. She pulled away.

"This is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she told him.

"Get used to it, I'm going to surprise you so much, Kim," he assured her.

"Why me?"

"Because I love you."

She smiled. "And I love you, but why me?"

"I've told you already, you deserve it. You deserve to be treated right, Kim. Never let anyone tell you you're not worth it."

She kissed him. "I really don't think I deserve all this adoration."

"Stop saying that, you deserve this and more. You're amazing, never let anyone make you think you are anything less."

She kissed him again. She loved being with him, whenever they were together she felt like a princess. She had never felt like that when she was with someone before. She was glad to feel so good, but she felt like it was too much.

She was worried that he'd wake up next to her one morning, and realize that he had wasted his time on her. She was terrified of losing him, but at the same time she couldn't ask him to go back to how things had been.

As she stood there, wrapped in his arms, surrounded by candles, she worried that she would wake up and learn it was all a dream. There were so many times she had dreamed of being with him.

She didn't even notice it at first that he had started to lift her. They broke their kiss, so that he could lift her. He cradled her next to him, kissing her again. He held her like that long moment before he walked the few steps to the bed.

He then carefully placed her on the. She pulled him toward her, for another kiss. She pulled away only a moment later.

"I love you, Bobby," she whispered.

"I love you, Kim," he whispered back.

XX

At Bosco's Faith was pinned to the bed by her partner's arm. They were both naked, covered by his comforter. He was sleeping, while she stared up at the ceiling. She couldn't fall asleep, her mind was reeling.

She had just slept with her partner, and had technically cheated on her husband. While it was happening she hadn't cared, she just wanted to know what it was like to be with him.

Now, however , thinking about it, she started to regret it.

Sure, Fred had betrayed her by going into that bar, but that didn't mean he had had a drink. It may not have meant anything, but she had screwed up any chance they might have had to reconcile.

'And for what?' she thought to herself. Was one night of lust worth losing everything over? She knew her marriage was over, but if Fred found out they had slept together. He would fight even harder to get the kids.

She knew that if he found out about the one night, he would accuse her of sleeping with him the whole time they worked together. How had she made such a mess of everything? The last place she wanted to be was home, but she knew it was the safest.

"Bosco," she whispered.

"Baby, don't call me that," he mumbled, sleepily.

"Bosco!" she snapped.

His eyes flew open. "Faith?" he asked.

It took him a moment to remember what had happened between them. When he did remember he smiled at her. Then went to kiss her, but she moved so that he got her cheek.

"I wasn't asleep long enough to have potent morning breath," he joked.

"I need to get out of here," she said.

"No, stay."

"I can't I need to get home. I need to… I don't know, I just need you to let me up!"

"Faith, relax, just stay with me tonight."

"So what do I tell Fred? That I thought I'd stay on a different couch tonight?"

"Tell him that you wanted to be anywhere but there, after you saw him going into the bar."

"And what if he swears he didn't drink. In the morning there's no way of knowing for sure if he has or he hasn't."

"Fine, go back to him."

"He's still my husband! Tonight, was amazing, but Bosco, we can't do this again."

"Why not?"

"Because, you're my partner."

"Then we'll ask to be split up cause we're sleeping together."

She shook her head. "We've slept together, once, and I think that's how I want it to stay."

He nodded. "Fine, Faith, just walk out of here, and pretend this never happened."

"I can't forget what we did, but I just think that we'll never work out. Tonight was just one night. You'll go back to being your usual playboy self, and I'll become a divorced mother of two."

He nodded, "if that's what you want."

She had gotten dressed. "I'm sorry, Bosco, we just aren't right for each other. See you tomorrow."

She left the room, and he was upset. He thought that she would at least stay the night. He never expected confessions of love, but he never thought she'd leave to go check on her drunk husband. He heard the front door close, and he knew she was gone, and he would never have a second chance with her.

XX

Kim and Bobby's breath was slowing, but they were still sweaty. She looked at him, then put up her hand. He twined his fingers around hers. She smiled at him, as he kissed her hand.

"That was amazing," she whispered.

"So you mentioned," he told her. "I think all my neighbours know just how much you liked it."

She blushed. "I'm not usually like that."

"I'm defiantly not complaining."

She kissed him. "I love you so much."

"You have no idea I've been waiting to hear that."

"I've told you before."

"But never after making love. I've wanted to hear that so much."

She smiled. "No mistakes this time. I'm happy we did this."

"I am too, today is now, officially, the happiest day of my life."

She nodded. "It's defiantly up there on my list."

"I want you to stay here tonight," he told her.

"I guessed as much."

He laughed. "I just want you to know, that I really want you here, next to me tonight. I went through a lot of trouble planning tonight."

She smiled at him. "I know you did, and it was worth all your work."

"Is this slowly enough for you?"

"This is a good pace."

"Don't forget to tell me if you start feeling overwhelmed again, I don't want to lose you."

She nodded. "And I don't want to let you go."

He propped himself to look her in the eyes. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

She leaned forward to kiss him. "Bobby," she whispered. "Never let me go."

"Never," he assured her.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She smiled at him, lovingly.

"Doherty's an idiot," he said.

"What?"

"You'd have to be pretty stupid, to let someone as amazing as you go."

She laughed. "Learn from his mistake."

"I plan to. Besides, you're the only person I have my eyes on. You're the only person I've wanted them on for a good long time."

She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him against her in hug.

"Let's just stay like this forever," she whispered.

"If only we could," he told her. "I have to put out the candles."

She let him up, and he snuffed out the candles, as she watched him. He put on a pair of boxers, then gave her one of his old T-shirts to wear for the night..

"But I can tell you that I'll love you forever," he told her, getting back into the bed.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear someone say that."

He kissed her cheek. "I will love you forever, Kim Zambrano."

"And I will love you as long as you love me, Bobby Caffey."

The kissed one last time, before spooning together, and falling asleep.

tbc...

end notes: see you shippers you're getting your plot bunnies into my head! hehe... i really hope you liked this part i wasn't sure if this was really what i wanted, but at the same time i think it really works, tell me what you think of the contrast between bobby's and bosco's i had fun with that... well stay tuned to see what faith does about this new development


	8. 8

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: figure it was about time to fill in the blanks for content... for those of you who aren't down with the lingo (cause i know it bugged me for about a year before i clued in) ust is unresolved sexual tention, and i must say one of the better of the fanfic classifications... so this would be the morning after the eventful night before... hehe 

Bobby had just dropped Kim off at her place, after their night together. She was almost floating, she was so happy with the way everything had happened. It had taken them a while but they were finally on the right path.

Kim was surprised when she heard a knock at her door. She was half expecting it to be Bobby, back to tell her he loved her. She opened the door, and was surprised to see Faith, and she looked stressed.

"Hi," said Kim. "What brings you by?"

"I did something really stupid," she replied.

"Come in, I'll make some coffee."

Kim went into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Faith was sitting on the couch. She looked pale, and very nervous.

"So what did you do?" she asked.

"I slept with Bosco," Faith replied.

"What!"

"Fred started drinking again, and I didn't know where to go. I didn't want to be at the apartment when he came home. I didn't know where to go, and I didn't get an answer here. So ended up at Bosco's, one thing lead to another, and I slept with him."

"So you're not happy about this development then?"

"No, he's my partner, and I'm still married," Faith reasoned.

"I'm sleeping with my partner and it seems to be working out all right for us."

Faith nodded. "That's different, Bobby loves you."

"How do you know that Bosco doesn't?"

"Are we thinking about the same man? Maurice Boscorelli doesn't know the meaning of the word love."

"All right, I'll just go get the coffee."

Kim went into the kitchen, and poured two cups of coffee. She brought them both out, then some milk and sugar. Faith took a mug, and fixed her coffee the way she liked it.

"I don't know what I was thinking, Kim. I slept with Bosco," Faith explained.

"If you didn't want to do it, then why didn't you ask him to stop?" Kim asked.

"Because at the time I wasn't thinking. He was telling me I was amazing, and pretty, and that he wanted to be with me. And I was thinking why would Bosco want me? But I was curious, I wanted to know what it was like to be with him."

"And?"

"Kim, he was amazing! But I can't pursue anything, he's my friend, my partner! Even if he wasn't I'm married!"

"How much longer are you going to married for?"

Faith shrugged. "That's not the point. I was married last night, I'm still married this morning."

"So what did you tell Bosco?"

"I told him that we weren't right for each other, then left."

"Where did you go when you left?"

"I was going to go home, but I couldn't make myself go inside. So I just wondered around the city aimlessly all night."

Kim hugged her friend. "Maybe if you get some rest, you'll be able to figure this all out."

"I can't sleep, I can't shut off my brain."

"Do you work today?"

"Yeah."

"Are you actually planning on going?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I?"

Kim gave her friend a strange look. "Faith not only have you not slept in many hours, but you're going to have to work with Bosco. Do you really think that either of you can pretend like everything's the same between you?"

"I don't have much of a choice in the matter."

"You could call in sick?"

"And tell them that I'm too tired to come in because I slept with my partner and haven't actually slept in about twenty four hours?"

Kim shrugged. "Or you could lie?"

"I guess I could do that." She looked at her hands. "Oh my God!"

"What?" asked Kim, concerned.

"I lost my wedding ring!"

"When did you have it on last?"

"Probably after work."

"So then it's either in one of the places you went walking, in a cab somewhere, or it's in the most logical place, at Bosco's."

"I can't go back there," Faith told her friend.

"You don't really have much of a choice in the matter do you? Unless you want to tell your husband you lost your wedding ring while you were fooling around with you partner."

"Or you could ask him if he's seen it?"

"I don't think so. I hardly even know him. Yeah, um, hi, it's me, I was just wondering if Faith might have lost her wedding ring here last night, while you were, uh, talking?"

"Talking is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

Kim shook her head. "I'm not asking him if he found your wedding ring in his bed."

"What am I supposed to do here?"

"You can't build a time machine and make it not happen, so you have to be honest with him."

"How could I be so stupid?"

"Because you were hurt, and he told you what you needed to hear?"

Faith nodded. "Wow you mind if stayed her for a little while, to lie low?"

"I wouldn't mind at all."

"What am I going to tell Fred?"

"I really don't know, does he know where you are?"

"I told him I decided to stay at friend's house, I just didn't tell him whose. I can't see him right now, even if I wanted to. What am I supposed to tell him happened to my wedding ring?"

Kim shrugged. "You'll have to figure that out before you see him. What about the kids?"

"I haven't even thought about what I'd tell them!"

"You'll figure something out by the time they get off of school, I'm sure. If you want to stay here you're more then welcome to, there's not a lot of room, but while I'm at work you can sleep in my room."

"Thank you, Kim. Why weren't you home last night?"

"Bobby took me out, then we spent the night at his place," she replied, unable to stop a stupid grin from coming across her face.

"It went well then?"

"Amazing. But I'm sure you don't want to know the details."

"There are details?"

Kim laughed. "He had candles and everything in his room, and he even bought me roses."

"Someone reads too many romance novels."

"Even so, it was really nice of him."

"He's a great guy."

Kim was still smiling. "He is, and I love him so much."

"How do you do it?"

"What?"

"Just be the same at work the next day?"

Kim shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Bobby and I have always talked about everything in our lives, between runs, so I guess we've always been able to keep work and home separate."

"What about after the first night you were together?"

"Honestly, I was falling apart inside that day. I didn't know what to tell him or how to tell it to him. But I've had a lot of experience with Jimmy, going to work the next day, and pretending like nothing happened between us again in front of the guys. So that may have had something to do with being able to handle that whole thing with Bobby."

Faith nodded. "I don't know if I could do it. I thought I could, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I could work with Bosco again."

"Would you really want to work with someone else?"

Faith shrugged. "Not really."

"That's a huge factor too."

"I have a lot to think about, still."

Kim nodded. "I'll show you around."

Kim quickly showed Faith around the apartment. When they got to Kim's room, Faith went in, and laid down. Kim closed the door, and let her friend sleep.

xxxx

Later that day Kim and Bobby were just about to leave the scene of an accident. A bus had been called but ended up not being needed. Kim was getting into the rig when she heard Bosco calling her name.

"What's up?" she asked, Bosco.

"Have you seen Faith today?" he asked.

"For a few minutes this morning, why?"

"Oh, cause she didn't come into work today, and I'm a little worried about her."

"I'm sure she's jut not feelings well. She was looking a little pale when I saw her."

"All right, anyway, if you see her before me, which I'm sure you will, could you give this to her?" He handed her a ring.

"How did you get this?"

"I know she told you how it got where it was found. But if you're gonna play stupid, she dropped it at my place last night. Could you just give it to her, please?"

Kim nodded. "All right Bosco."

"And tell her that I'm sorry for what I did. She should know what it's about."

"No problem."

"Do you seriously not know where she is?"

Kim looked at the ground, not able to look him in the face to lie to him. "Sorry, I don't."

"Look, if you do, or if you see her again, can you please ask her to just talk to me, the longer she avoids me the worse it's gonna be to face it."

Kim looked him sadly. "I think it's more of a matter that she doesn't know how to deal with everything that happened last night."

"So you do know?"

"Yeah, she told me this morning, when she came by."

"Everything I told her was the truth, I care about her very much."

She nodded. "I'm sure it was the truth, and that you care about her. But she's got a lot to deal with right now."

"I know she does, and I feel like shit for adding to her problems."

"Hey Kim!" called Bobby. "We got a call."

"Sorry," she told Bosco. "Gotta go."

"Thank you!"

She went back to the rig, and got in, and they raced to where they had to go.

XX

Meanwhile at Kim's apartment, Faith had just woken up, because her cell phone had been ringing non stop for about five minutes. Faith stretched out, and found her purse, and pulled out the phone.

"Hello?" Faith said, annoyed.

"Where are you?" her mother asked on the other end.

"I'm at a friend's house, why?"

"Where's Fred?"

"I have no idea, we had a fight last night, so my friend let me stay. What's wrong?"

"I got a call from the school today saying that no one picked up the kids. They're with me right now, and I don't mind keeping them here another night, but I'd at least like to know what's going on."

Faith sighed. "I saw Fred going into a bar yesterday, and I didn't want to go home, so I went to talk to my friend. We talked, and she told me that I could stay here until I was ready to deal with Fred. When I called Fred he was pissed off, and I think he was drunk, I haven't talked to him since. I assumed he would sober up and pick up the kids today, I swear."

"So what's going on with you and Fred."

"I want to get a divorce. I told him, that if he started drinking again that I would leave him. So I'm leaving him."

"So what are you going to do in the meantime, hide out at your friend's while I watch your kids."

"No, Mom, of course not. I just needed some time to get away from everything. Let me call her, and see if she wouldn't mind if the kids came her for a little while, all right?"

"All right."

"I'll call you right back."

She hung up the phone, then dialed Kim's cell phone number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hi," said Faith.

"Hi, how are you doing?"

"Getting better. Fred didn't pick the kids up from school, would you mind if I asked my mother to bring them over here?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. Are you going to be going home tonight?"

"I don't know."

"If you don't I'll find somewhere for everyone, don't worry about it, all right?"

"Thanks, Kim, I appreciate it."

"No problem. If your kids want stuff to play with, Joey's got lots of stuff in his room, he's just a little picky about where they go, so ask them to put it back where they found it."

Faith laughed. "All right, he won't mind sharing?"

"No, as long as his stuff is put back where it goes."

"All right, thank you so much."

"It's not a problem, see you later."

Faith hung up the phone, and was glad that Kim was being so nice about everyting. She knew that she'd have to face the music at home soon, but she just needed a little bit more time away to think about everything that had happened.

"Hello?" she said when her mother picked.

"Hi," her mother replied.

"I just got off the phone with my friend, and she says it'd be all right if the kids came over here, so I'll give you directions."

"Aren't you worried about where Fred might be?"

"Honestly, no, Mom. He's probably at some bar somewhere, and I don't want him around them if he is anyway. If I don't hear from him but the end of the day tomorrow I'll file a missing persons report."

"I hope you have nicer things to say about their father when your kids get there."

"I just needed to vent, when they get here the three of us are going to have a talk, and I'm going to explain to them, calmly what's going on between Fred and me."

"All right."

Faith proceeded to give her mother directions to Kim's apartment, and waited for them to arrive.

XX

After Kim had gotten off the phone with Faith she had had to explain to Bobby what was going on. That Faith was hiding out at her place. He was happy that she was being so nice to her new friend.

"That's what I love about you, Kim," he told her.

"What?" she asked.

"That you're a good person who is willing to help people out."

She smiled. "She's my friend."

"Even sometimes people who aren't your friends, like Sunny. It's stuff like that made me fall in love with you."

"You're going to give me a complex you know that?"

He laughed. "Do you want me to drop you and Joey off tonight?"

"That would be nice."

"What are the chance that you'd let me up?"

"I really like that idea. I really like waking up to see your face, and feel your arms around me. But, I think I'm going to have a full house as it is, and adding another person to the mix may not be such a great idea."

He nodded. "All right."

"But I'm defiantly going to take a rain check on that, and as soon as my apartment is my own again, you'll be the first person I'll invite."

"Would it be a bad idea to pull over so I could kiss you right now?"

She laughed. "Probably."

"Just know I want to."

She smiled at him, and took his hand. He smiled back at her, then the radio crackled to say they had a call, the moment was over.

XX

At Kim's the kids had just gotten settled, and were sitting on the couch. They pretty much figured out what was going on as soon as they were brought to someone else's house instead of their own.

"Are you and Daddy getting a divorce?" asked Charlie.

Faith nodded. "I think so, sweetie."

"Why?" asked Emily.

"Because he broke a really important promise to me, and I can't forgive him for it."

"So are we still going to see both of you?"

"Of course you are. Also, I'm going arrange for you two to get private therapy, so you can talk to someone about all the things that you're thinking about this, all right."

"What did Daddy do?" asked Charlie.

"Remember when we all talked about drinking alcohol in therapy, and Daddy said he was going to stop?"

"Yeah."

"He started again, and you remember all the bad things that can happen when you're drinking it?"

"Yeah."

"He's drinking again, and I don't want him to do it around you, and Emily, and me."

"Why does it bug you so much?" Emily asked.

"Because my father used to drink when I was younger, and I don't want you two to see what I had to see."

Emily nodded. "Does Daddy know what's going on?"

"Yes, he knows that I want to get a divorce. He doesn't know where we are right now. I want us to stay here tonight, and tomorrow we'll all go home. You guys are going to be there all the time, and your father and me are going to take turns staying other places until everything is settled."

"Then what?"

"Then a judge is going to decide how custody works."

"What if he gets better?" asked Charlie.

"What do you mean?"

"The doctors said that he was sick, and that's why he drinks it. So what if he gets better?"

"Then we'll see what happens. But right now the best thing for everyone is for us to live in two different places. I know this is going to be really hard to get used to, but you have to believe that I think this is the best thing for everyone."

Charlie had started to cry. Emily took his hand.

"What's wrong?" Faith asked him.

"Well if I get sick, are you gonna stop loving me?" he sniffled.

"It's not that kind of sick, Charlie. A part of me still loves your father, and I promise I'll always love you. I just can't live with someone who has what's wrong with your father. I don't know how to explain to you how what you father has is different from a cold that you can catch."

"Oh," he said, not very convinced.

"Charlie, it's something wrong inside of his head," Emily told her brother. "When he sees alcohol, he has to drink it, and he just can't stop. But when he drinks it he gets mean, and loud, you know what I mean, Charlie. You don't like Daddy when he's like that do you?"

"No."

"And neither does Mommy, and he told her that he was going to get better for us, and he didn't. So Mommy and Daddy can't live together until he's better."

He looked up at his sister, then looked at his mother. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it is, Emily you did a very good job explaining that to him. Where did you hear that?"

"One of my teachers at school. She thought I wasn't paying attention in class, so she asked me to stay, and I thought I was in trouble. But she just wanted to know if something was going on at home. After I told her she explained to me what it mean that Daddy drinks too much."

"She really did a good job of that. I know you guys want to be at home, but we'll back there soon."

Charlie nodded. "Are there any toys around here?"

"Yeah," Faith replied. "My friend has a little boy who's six years old, and there's supposed to be some toys in his room. But you have to put everything back where you found it when you're done or he'll get upset with you."

"All right!" said Charlie, going off in search of some toys.

"How are you Em?" Faith asked her daughter.

"I knew this was going to happen," she said. "I still have some homework, so I'm gonna finish it."

"Do you ant some help?"

"No, that's all right."

Faith felt horrible. She knew that her kids were not happy with the way thing hasd turned out. She had wanted everything to work out so badly so they would not have to deal with any of it.

But it was too late for that now. Fred had chosen the bottle over his family, and Faith was not about to let that go. She was going to go the next day to get all the paperwork underway to get the divorce.

She knew that Emily was really upset about the whole thing, and didn't want anyone to help her deal with it. She just hoped that if she put them both into counseling then they may be able to better understand everything going on.

tbc...

end notes: as i said some big time faith angst is gonna be coming up so you're gonna wanna stay tuned, oh the drama mixed with the bobby/kim fluff i'm happy with where this is going! even if i never thought it'd get this long


	9. 9

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: thought it would cool to write about if the kids get along, didn't expect it to be a whole part but, i think it works, there's some major drama on the way so this a good cusion before it laugh anywho tell me what you think of this one pls? 

Joey and Charlie were the first two up at Kim's place the next morning. They had slept in sleeping bags on the floor in Joey's room. Joey told Emily that she could sleep in his bed. They went into the kitchen, quietly so not to wake up Faith, who was sleeping on the couch.

"What's for breakfast?" Charlie asked.

"Cereal," Joey replied.

"What do you got?"

"The gross stuff that my mom eats, and Fruit Loops."

"Mm, Fruit Loops."

"They're my favourite."

"Mine too."

Joey got the cereal, and some milk and put on the table. He then got two bowls and two spoons, and handed one of each to his new friend. They each poured themselves a bowl, and started eating their breakfast quietly. Emily came out of the room next.

"Hi," said Emily.

"You want Fruit Loops?" Joey asked.

"All right."

"We got toast, and Eggos too."

"No, Fruit Loops are good."

Joey went and got Emily a bowl and a spoon, and gave them to her.

"The only rule is you gotta eat what you took," Joey explained.

"All right, thank you."

"You can come play with us when you're done," Charlie offered.

"That's all right," Emily told her brother.

She sat down at the table, and the boys put their dishes in the sink. Joey went back into his room to play with Charlie. They decided to play with Joey's toy cars and trucks.

He had a fairly large storage bin half full of toy cars and trucks, and some race track pieces for the cars.

"You got a lot of fire trucks," Charlie commented.

"Yeah, my dad buys 'em for me. He's a fireman," Joey explained. "What does your dad do?"

Charlie shrugged. "I dunno, but my mom's a police lady."

"Really? Cool!"

"What does your mom do?"

"She's a paramedic," Joey told his new friend.

"What's that?"

"I don't know, but she works at the same place as Daddy, and she helps people who are sick."

"Oh," Charlie replied, not sure what that was exactly. "Where is your dad?"

"He doesn't live here anymore."

"Oh," said Charlie, then he realize what that might mean. "So he's not married to your mom anymore?"

"Nope."

"Do you like it?"

Joey looked at his new friend, a little puzzled. "Like what?"

"Not having your mom and dad live together?"

Joey shrugged. "Well it's a sin to not be married when you have a kid, you know?"

"What's a sin?"

"It's really bad. If you do a sin, then you go to hell."

"I know what hell is, and that's really bad!"

"I know. They tell me that at school all the time, but I don't think it's true. I like it that my mommy and daddy aren't married anymore."

"Why?"

"Cause now I get to two bedrooms."

"You have two bedrooms? I gotta share my one with my sister."

"That's no fun!"

Charlie laughed. "Is there anything else good about your mom and dad not being married?"

"When I go to his house I get junk food I'm not allowed to eat here."

"Really?"

"Yeah! My dad always gives me the best junk food! Like chocolate bars, and chips and stuff."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, we always have eat-out food, too. I don't get eat out food with my mom a lot, but I almost always get it when I'm with my dad. And like the good stuff, like McDonald's and stuff."

"That sounds really cool!"

"It is! And sometimes I get to meet his girlfriends, and they're all really nice to me."

Charlie thought about it for a moment. "Then maybe it's not so bad that my mom and dad might be getting one."

"I don't think it's so bad, it's better then having your mom and dad screaming at each other all the time."

"Yeah," Charlie agreed.

Charlie was looking through Joey's bin of cars and trucks, looking for something, and pulling out the fire trucks as he went.

"Do you got any police cars?" Charlie asked.

"I got some," Joey replied.

Joey started looking through his cars, knowing he had some. When he found four, and put them with the fire trucks that were already out.

"I think that's all I got," Joey told him.

"Do you wanna race the police cars and the fire trucks?"

"Okay!"

The two boys pulled out some plastic race tracks, and set them up on the floor, so they could race the police cars against the fire trucks.

In the kitchen Emily was just finishing her cereal, when Kim came out of her room, stretching. She was wearing a shirt she had taken from Bobby's and a pair of black shorts.

"Good morning," Kim said to the ten year old sitting at her kitchen table.

"Good morning," said Emily.

"If you're still hungry you can have something else."

"I'm good."

"Is anyone else up?"

"Yeah, my brother and Joey are in his room playing."

Kim put some coffee on, then went to see what the two boys were doing. She peaked into Joey room, and they seemed to be having fun.

"All right, now this one versus this one," said Charlie, holding up a police car and a fire truck.

"Okay!" Joey exclaimed.

"Have you two had breakfast yet?" Kim asked.

"Yeah!" they both said, not even looking up, placing the toys on the track.

Kim went back into her room to get changed. When she went back into the kitchen, Faith had woken up, and had poured two cups of coffee. She handed Kim one.

"Thanks," Kim said.

"No problem, it's the least I can do," Faith replied. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here,"

"Not a problem, I think our two munchkins hit off."

"Why do you say that?"

"They're playing in Joey's room racing police cars against fire trucks."

Faith laughed. "Let's hope it stays friendly."

"So are we going home today?" Emily asked.

"Yes, we are." Faith replied.

The phone started to ring, indicating that someone was buzzing to be let up. Kim didn't even check to see who it was, she just hit the button to let them up. She heard a knock at the door.

She went to go let the person in, but he opened the door and let himself in before she got there. She was surprised to see Jimmy in her doorway, looking confused.

"Why did you come over?" Kim asked Jimmy.

"Since you're working today, and I'm not, and it's Saturday, I figured I'd come by and surprise Joey, and take him for the day," he replied.

"Joey'll love that, he's in his room playing with Charlie."

"Who's Charlie?"

"My son," Faith replied.

"Right."

Jimmy decided not to ask why Faith was there with her kids. He went into the Joey's room, and saw the two boys racing the cars. Joey didn't even see him, he was so interested in his game.

"Hey, Champ," Jimmy said.

"Daddy!" Joey exclaimed, jumping up and hugging his father. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not working today, I thought it would be fun to hang out with you today. We haven't been doing that a lot lately."

"You wanna play with Charlie and me till he has to go home?"

"Sure. What are you playing?"

"We're racing Joey's fire trucks against his police cars," Charlie explained.

Jimmy laughed, and then sat down on the floor with the two boys. Who went back to racing the different fire trucks against the few police cars.

Jimmy enjoyed watching his son just be a kid. Sometimes when he saw him he tried too hard to make him a little adult. He had been trying harder lately to figure out what Joey liked, but he still hadn't gotten it completely right.

In the living room, Faith and Kim had sat down on the couch with their coffee. Emily had pulled out a book and was reading it sitting at the kitchen table.

"Does Jimmy do this often?" Faith asked.

"Come by and surprise Joey?" Kim asked.

"Yeah."

"No, he doesn't, which makes me wonder if he's up to something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but he was not expecting anyone else here, that's for sure."

Faith laughed. "Does he know about you and Bobby?"

"Everyone does, after I kind of yelled it out for everyone to hear a while ago."

Faith laughed. "I'm still sorry I missed that."

Kim smiled. "That certainly wasn't one of my best moments."

"Are you happy you got a divorce?" Emily asked suddenly, putting down her book, and going into the living room.

"Emily!" Faith scolded her daughter.

"It's all right," Kim assured her friend. "I don't think it's being happy or sad, it's something else."

"What do you mean?" asked Emily.

"When I was married I was happy, when everything was good. Then one day I woke up and it hurt to be married because of something that Joey's father did. Every day it hurt a little bit more. I'd get mad, at him, and sometimes at Joey. I knew that Joey's shouldn't have to see or deal with like that and I didn't like the way I was acting. The more I hurt, the more I hurt everyone around me. Eventually it just hurt too much, and I had to get away from him. So we got a divorce, and it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm not happy I had to do it, but I'm happy the pain is gone."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know that you probably like things the way they are at home, right now, right?"

"Yeah."

"Even if you don't see it your mom's hurting, and it's better for her, and you, and your brother, in the long run, if she makes the hurt go away."

Emily still looked a little puzzled. "I think I understand."

"It's not going to be easy adjusting to all the changes, but both your parents love you, and that will never change. As long as you have them you can get through anything."

Emily nodded. "What does Joey think about it?"

"There are days he wants us to be married again, and there are days that he's happy that we're not."

"Does he understand?"

"As much as a six year old can. You're a little older, so I'm sure you understand what divorce is a little bit better then he would."

"Emily," said Faith. "We still have a lot that we need to talk about, how about you go get dressed and ready to go home?"

She nodded, and went to go get changed out of her pajamas.

"Thank you, Kim," Faith told her friend. "That was really nice what you said to her."

Kim smiled. "It's the truth, or as much of it as a ten year old can handle."

The phone rang again to indicate someone was looking to be buzzed up. Kim didn't check to see who was there, and just let whoever it was up. There was a knock at the door, and then it opened.

"Welcome to Grand Central Station," Kim laughed, upon seeing Bobby.

"I can come back later," he offered, going to turn around.

Kim stood up, and walked over to him. She kissed him lightly on the lips.

"It's okay," Kim assured him. "It's just a little crowded."

Bobby laughed. "All right, the more the merrier right?"

Emily came back into the room dressed, surprised to see someone else in the small apartment.

"Emily, how about you go ask your brother to get ready, so we can go home, and talk about everything that's going on?" Faith told her daughter.

"All right," Emily replied, going toward Joey's room.

"Faith, I nearly forgot, Bosco gave me this, when I saw him yesterday," Kim said, handing her friend her wedding ring.

"Thank you," Faith said, relieved.

"I wanted to give it to you when the kids were out of eyesight so you didn't have to explain anything to them."

Faith laughed. "I would have had a hell of a time explaining that."

Bobby had sat down next to Kim. She smiled at him, and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"You've got a full house today," Bobby laughed.

"Yeah, Faith and the kids stayed over last night, as you know. Then Jimmy dropped by to pick up Joey out of the blue since it's his day off. So to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Kim asked.

"Just wanted to see you."

She grinned, happy to hear what he had to say. She loved him so much, especially when he said stuff like that.

"You two are enough to give people cavities, you know that?" Faith laughed.

Kim smiled. "Sorry."

"Not a big deal, I'm in your space."

Emily came back into the living room, with Charlie in toe. Both kids had their backpacks on, and were ready to go.

"Joey's still playing with his dad," Charlie told Kim.

"Thank you," Kim replied.

"So we're gonna get out of your hair," Faith laughed, hugging her friend. "Thank you so much for making room for us, I really appreciate it."

"Yeah," Charlie agreed. "Thank you for letting us stay."

"Not a problem, I'm glad you and Joey got along so well."

"Thank you," said Emily.

"Not a problem."

"I'll call you soon, and maybe Charlie can come over to play again sometime," Faith offered.

Kim smiled. "That sounds great, good luck with Fred. Call me if you need to talk, all right?"

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it. You won't have your phone off?"

"Probably not."

They all said their goodbyes, then Faith and the kids left. It suddenly seemed to quiet in the apartment. Kim fell onto the couch, and Bobby wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. She pulled away, and smiled at him.

"So Jimmy's here?" Bobby asked.

"Yup," Jimmy replied, startling them both.

"Hi," Bobby said.

"Bobby!" Joey exclaimed coming out of his room, and then running toward Bobby to give him a hug.

"Hey Joey," said Bobby.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"Daddy's gonna spend his whole day off with me!"

"That's great, pal."

"So what brought you by?" Jimmy asked Bobby.

"You wanted to see your son," Bobby replied. "I wanted to see my girl."

Jimmy shook his head. "Right. Anyway, I have a big day planned for Joey and me so I'll see you later Kim?"

Jimmy still wasn't entirely used Kim and Bobby being together. He still thought that he might have a chance of winning her back. It was just a matter of getting her alone, he had convinced him.

Kim suspected that Jimmy was going to try to get her to take him back but she wasn't going to do it. She was finally happy with someone she loved, and she was not about to let that go on a gamble.

She nodded. "Call me if you decide you want him to stay overnight."

"Can I stay over?" Joey asked, hopefully.

"I don't know, Champ, I wanted to have someone over for a little bit, but your mom doesn't want you to meet anyone anymore," Jimmy told his son.

"Aw, please Mom?"

Kim glared at Jimmy. "It's your dad's choice. If you want to stay over, you better get your toothbrush."

"Okay," Joey went into the bathroom.

"Don't do that, Jimmy," Kim snapped.

"What?" Jimmy asked, innocently.

"Don't make me out to be the bad guy all the time. You know my reasons for asking you what I asked, and he doesn't."

"Look Kim, if you're allowed to have Bobby hanging out with him."

"Bobby's different, Joey's always known him."

"You know," said Bobby. "He's in the room. Kim's got a point, Jimmy it's not like I suddenly appeared here one day. I've always been around, I'm just here more."

"Stay out of this, Caffey," Jimmy grumbled. "Kim, I can't see why I can't let my girlfriend see him."

"Girlfriends, Jimmy, if you had one girlfriend, I wouldn't care so much. I don't want him to that think that a girlfriend is something you change every week."

Jimmy shrugged. "Look, I'm sorry, about that. But I am kind of serious with this girl, and she asked to meet him."

"Then that's fine, but if she's not around the next time Joey goes to visit, I'm not going to trust you again."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Kim. You really don't mind me taking him today?"

"Not at all, it give my mother a break, and you need to spend more time with him anyway."

"Also gives you some alone time with Bobby."

Kim shook her head. "We have to work."

Joey came out of the bathroom. "All right, I have my toothbrush, can I go now?" he asked.

"After I get a hug," Kim replied.

Joey came over and gave Kim a hug. She kissed him on the cheek, and he rubbed it as soon as he pulled away.

"Bye Mom, bye Bobby."

"Love you," Kim told her son.

"Yeah, yeah." He went over to his father.

"See you later, Kim," Jimmy said, purposely ignoring Bobby.

He opened the door, and Joey followed him out. Kim went over and locked the door behind them.

"No else is getting in here," Kim smiled.

Bobby stood up, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her, hard. She relaxed right into kiss, and deepened it. She enjoyed it for a long moment before pulling away.

"I needed that," she whispered.

"I thought so," he told her.

"If Joey's going to be with Jimmy tonight, maybe we could do something here after work?"

He smiled. "I really like the sound of that."

She kissed him again. "How long do we have before work?"

"Not long enough."

She looked at her watch and noticed they had about half an hour before they had to be at work. "That's the other reason I swung by, thought you might need a lift to arrive on time," he explained.

She laughed. "Thanks. Let me get some socks on, and we'll get out of here."

tbc...

end notes: so what did you think? i sometimes like to not ignore the kids, but since i have no 6, 8 or 10 year olds around i prolly have them acting wrong for their ages, sorry... there's some mega drama around the bend (you'll see so stay tuned) pls review it makes me very very happy


	10. 10

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: this is not what expected for this part at all, you'll see, but i actually like it, and i hope that you do too, wow what was with being dow for the last little while huh? gave me sometime to get ahead on this fic, i've got another two and half parts written, but they need lots of editing... reviews make me very happy so keep 'em coming! 

When Faith got back to her place, she was not surprised to find Fred still sleeping. She assumed he was sleeping off a hang over. The kids went into their room, and unpacked their backpacks.

Faith went into the kitchen to make some coffee, waiting for Fred to emerge. She knew that he would have a lot to say about what had happened the last few days.

She had it all figured out, she was going to tell Fred that she would find a new place to live, and until she could they would take turns spending the night at the apartment and at friend's houses.

She knew it would be better for the kids to not be moved around as much, and that Fred did spend more time with them. After all he wasn't working, so it just made sense that he stayed with them.

She didn't really want to do it that way, because she knew she'd probably see her kids even less then she already did, but she knew that it was the best way for them.

She wouldn't even fight it if the courts gave him more time with the kids, as long as there was a clause that he had to stay sober around them. When he wasn't drinking he was great with the kids, and she didn't want to take that relationship away from them.

She just hoped it wouldn't be too long before she was able to find a new place to live, and hoped the Fred could find a job, to pay the rent on the place they already had. She knew that money was going to be even more tight, and wondered if she would even have time to see her kids after the divorce was finalized.

She was happy that until then her kids didn't grow up in a day care, but she also regretted not being able to be the one who stayed with them. Unfortunately someone had to bring home the bacon, and Fred had never been very good at doing so.

She didn't really want them growing up in daycare, and while the way things were not how she had thought they would turn out, until then it had all worked out well. Then Fred had to exasperate the situation by going to pick them up drunk.

He had always been a good father, and he just let the drinking get in the way. There had been other problems that his drinking had magnified, and she just needed to get away from it. But she did hope he could stop drinking and be the great father she knew he was.

She wished that it hadn't had to come to having to get a divorce, but it had. She could not wait around until he decided to actually stop drinking. She refused to be one of those women.

Maybe she was cutting off her nose to spite her face, but she had made up her mind. She could not live and be married to Fred anymore. But she didn't want that to effect her kids, and she would do everything she could to help them through it all.

With all of the other things on her mind dealing with what had happened between her and Bosco had been impossible. She was desperately trying to do what was right for her kids, and her own problems didn't much matter to her at that point.

When Fred finally came out of the room, it was obvious to tell he was hung over. He didn't even look at his wife, as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He then took two ibuprofen to calm his throbbing head.

"We need to talk," she told him.

"I'm not in the mood," he grunted.

"I don't care right now."

"I know how this talk is going to work, you'll do the talking, I'll do the listening and you'll have a hissy fit if I don't agree with every word you have to say."

"Fred!" she snapped.

"My head."

"I don't care about your damn head right now Fred! We have been tiptoeing around the truth for two days now."

"No, Faith, you have been avoiding me like the plague the last two days. I know what you want, and fine, I really don't give a flying fuck right now."

"There's still more to this!"

"What's your grand plan?" he demanded.

"I'm going to move out, and find a new place. Until I do the kids are going to stay here. I'll see them when I can, and when I do have days off I'd like it if you could find somewhere to stay, like I'm planning to."

"All right, so how are we supposed to pay two rents?"

"I will have to pay my rent, and you'll actually have to keep a steady job to pay for your rent."

"There's no other way?"

She shook her head. "No, Fred, any chance you had of me not going through with this was flushed down the toilet the moment you picked the bottle over working this out."

"You know our problems aren't only the drinking!"

"I know that, Fred, but I can't work on everything else if you can't stop drinking. At least now they'll all go away. But so help me if I ever find out you endangered our kids because of your drinking, I'll make sure you never see them again."

He laughed. "So you'd rather them be raised in day care then be with their drunk father?"

"Yeah, Fred, that sounds like a really good idea to me."

"You know you're not gonna get 'em, right?"

She scowled at him. "I may work a lot, but at least I didn't try to pick my kids up from school, under the influence."

"So what now? The kids are gonna be bumped into daycare?"

"That's the way it's going to have to be, because there's no way that I have a salary that the courts could garnish to give to you to support you entirely."

He shook his head. "I don't need you to survive financially, you know? I was doing this for the kids!"

"Were you drinking for them too?"

"I have a problem!"

"Then fix it Fred, and stick to the solution more then a month!"

"It's hard!"

"And it's easy for me? To have to work the hours that I work, and scrimp and save, to see you drink anything we have left over at the end of the month? Do you think it's easy for me to have to tell people that I can't even afford an apartment with rooms from each of my kids. You think it's easy of our daughter and our son to share a bedroom Fred?"

"Like that's gonna change when you have more to pay with the same amount of money coming in!"

"Let's just stop fighting, it's getting us nowhere. We know what's going on. There's no point in arguing any more."

They went silent for a long moment, and the kids came out of their room. They had both been crying, and it was obvious to tell.

"What's going to happen?" Charlie asked.

"Everything gonna change," Emily told her brother.

Faith looked at her kids, and her heart broke. She could not have ever imagine how devastating this would be for her children. She loved them so much, it hurt her to see them hurting so badly.

For a moment she considered just staying with Fred so that they wouldn't have to deal with what was coming around the bend. But she knew that what they would have to live with if they didn't get the divorce would be far worse.

It also hurt to know that she would be seeing even less of them. She hardly saw them as it was, but she had to do what was best for them for once.

"So who are we gonna live with?" asked Emily.

"That's for the court to decide," Fred replied.

"Are they gonna take us away from you, Daddy?" asked Charlie.

"I don't know what's going to happen. But I promise you that it'll be better the way the judge decides."

Emily began to cry again. "You promised that you'd do everything not to get a divorce! And now you're getting a divorce!"

"That's not my fault!"

"Yes it is!" Emily shrieked, angrily. "Yes it is! No one made you drink again!"

"Emily I'm sick."

"I know you are, but you coulda fought it! You coulda tried harder! You shoulda done everything to not do it anymore! But you didn't! You didn't!"

"Emily," Faith tried to calm her.

"No!" Emily yelled. "This is all your fault, Dad! I don't wanna live with you! I don't care if I'd have to almost live with a babysitter I don't even know! I don't wanna live with you anymore!"

"Emily, you're angry, you don't mean that," Fred tried to reason.

"You hurt Mom, and me and Charlie all the time! And I don't want to be hurt anymore!"

Fred looked helplessly at his daughter. He didn't know what to say to her. His head was aching, and he couldn't do anything to stop the pain.

Emily had always been his little girl, and for the first time he realized just how much he had been hurting her. He never realized just how much his drinking had effected his family.

Now the illusion of a happy functional family was crumbling around him, and he wasn't sure he could stand in the rubble and accepted it.

Despite all the trouble it had gotten him into, Fred just wanted to have a drink. A good strong one, to make him forget what he had just seen. He wanted to forget hearing what he just had.

Even though he knew it would make matters worse he wanted to drink until he forgot that he had a family. A family, he had realized he had hurt more then he ever imagined possible A family he had torn apart, and didn't have the strength nor desire to rebuild.

He wanted to blame all the problem on everyone else. He wanted to blame it on Faith's hours at work. He wanted to blame it on the stress of being a stay at home dad. But the long and short of it was, it was his fault for picking the drink over his family.

He had never wanted to admit it before, but he finally realized that he was happiest when he was drinking to forget. He didn't want any help with it anymore.

He didn't want anything else in his life, he'd just give it all up for the drink. He was willing to give up his family for the drink. He just couldn't stand to watch himself hurt them anymore. He knew if he could just get a drink then he'd be all right again.

When Faith had first suggested he go get help, he did it just to get her off his back. He realized now that that was the wrong reason for it. He should have done it for himself, because it didn't help any other way.

At the AA meetings he remembered people talking about their rock bottom. He thought he had hit his. If it wasn't the real rock bottom would be even more impossible from him to scrape himself up from that.

He looked over at his wife, and children, who were all hugging each other, and crying. The scene playing out before him was his fault. All the other problems had been magnified because of his drinking.

It really was too late, there was nothing he could do, nothing he wanted to do. He was losing his family, and there was nothing more he could do to hang onto them. He had gotten his last chance, and he had blown it.

"So what happens now?" Charlie asked, barely above a whisper.

"I'm gone," Fred said, suddenly.

"No!" Charlie screamed.

"No, I'm leaving. I'll call when I find a place to stay, but I'm not going to live here any more."

"Who's gonna take care of us when Mommy's at work?"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to be here anymore. When a judge tells me what he wants to have happen, then I'll do it, but until then I'll just visit once in a while when your mother's not here."

Fred went into the bedroom, and began to pack. Faith went to call someone, and Charlie followed his father into the bedroom. Trying to throw things out of the suitcases Fred was packing.

"Charles Yokas!" Fred thundered. "You leave my shit alone!"

Charlie looked up at his father, terrified. "I wanna go with you!"

"You can't!"

Charlie began to cry so loudly it was more like screaming. Fred had never seen his son act like that, and he wondered where it was coming from. He also wondered how long he could scream like that before he hurt himself or made himself sick.

While Fred was packing all of his clothes, he was going to leave everything else. He was surprised to hear the doorbell ring.

"Grandma's here!" he heard Emily call.

Charlie quieted down, and went into the living room to see his grandmother. Faith had called her because she knew she needed a little while to talk to Fred, alone.

"We're going to go out for a few hours, all right?" Faith's mother told the kids.

"All right," they both said, rather unenthusiastically.

The three of them left the apartment, hand in hand. Faith went into the bedroom. Where she saw two suitcases packed, and almost overstuffed with clothing.

"Fred," she said. "We need to talk."

"No more talking," he told her.

"So you're just going to abandon your kids?"

He shook his head. "They don't need me around until I'm better."

"They don't need you completely gone out of their lives."

"I can't see them until I'm better."

Tears were rolling down Faith's face. "So you'd rather walk out on them then let them see you sobering up?"

"I can't do this to them anymore Faith."

"You walking out on them will be worse then anything you've ever done."

"I'm not walking out on them!"

"Then let them see you!"

He shook his head. "I can't!"

"So help me, Fred, if you walk out that door, and stop seeing them for any length of time, don't ever look back! Because if you leave under these circumstance, I will make sure they are never in your life again." Faith threatened.

"Then that's just how it'll have to be."

Faith couldn't believe what he had just said. He actually agreed to never see his kids again. They had always been the most important people in his life. From the moment they were born he changed, and he took care of them, sometimes almost by himself.

Faith found it hard to believe that he meant what he had just said. It had to be the alcohol speaking, she decided.

She looked at him straight in the eyes. "Fred, if you chose to this, and you hurt these kids that much by making them lose their father, then that's your choice. But know that if you ever try to waltz back into their lives, and walk out again, I will have you hunted like a dog, and there will be nowhere you can hide from my wrath."

"Faith I've made up my mind. I am going to walk out of this house with the clothes that I have, and I'm never coming back.."

"Fred?" she asked, unsure, calling his bluff.

"I'm gone Faith, I just can't do this anymore."

"If that's your choice, then we'll live with that."

Fred picked up the suitcases, and walked out of the apartment. He didn't even look back. He was crying, but he knew this what he had to do. He would miss his kids, but he couldn't be a half assed father.

He had always tried so hard to be a good father, but he couldn't let his children see him fighting to chose them over his addiction. All he really wanted was to drink. He knew he needed help, but at that moment he didn't want it.

He just wanted to be as far away from anything that was considered a responsibility as humanly possible. He needed to get away from it all. He knew it would hurt his kids, but he needed a fresh start when he finally decided he wanted his life back in order.

He decided that he was going to do what he had to do, alone, and at his pace. If that meant sacrificing his family, that was what he had to do.

In her bedroom Faith had fallen to the floor, and was now in the middle of the room in a heap, sobbing. She knew she, nor her kids would ever see Fred again, and she didn't know what to do.

She never thought he'd walk out on them like that. He had always loved his family more then just about anything else. She hoped that once he sobered up that he would come to his senses, but a part of her knew that that would not happen.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting on the floor, when she picked up her cell phone. Her fingers were on auto pilot, and she dialed Kim's cell number.

"Hello?" said Kim.

"Kim?" she asked.

"Faith?"

"He left," she began to sob again.

"I'll be right there."

Click. The phone went dead. Faith didn't move from the spot in her room until she heard frantic knocking at the door. She went over and let Kim in. As soon as Kim had shut the door, she hugged her.

"He's gone," Faith sobbed. "He said he'd never come back."

Kim wasn't sure what to do for her friend. "Are you sure he's not just drunk?"

"I really don't think so."

"I'll help you through this as best I can," Kim assured her.

"I needed to hear that."

Kim wanted to say something reassuring, but couldn't think of anything that could make the situation better. Her friend had just watched her husband walk out on her, and her kids, what could she do to help.

"I'm feeling really light headed," Faith mumbled.

"I'll get you a glass of water," Kim offered, scurrying into the kitchen.

She came out and handed her friend a glass of water. She took a few sips, and calmed a little. Kim was alarmed to notice that Faith was looking rather pale, despite having just been crying. She expected her friend to be red, but she wasn't.

"Could you let me check your pulse?" Kim asked.

"What? Why?" Faith asked, concerned.

"You're in shock, and I think you are very close to having a really bad anxiety attack. I really don't want that to happen while you're alone here."

Faith held out her wrist, and Kim placed her fingers on the pulse point. Sure enough her heart was racing, and Kim was worried.

"Would you come down to the bus with me, and let me take your blood pressure?" Kim asked her friend.

"Yeah," Faith replied.

The fact that Faith hadn't even really protested further alarmed Kim, she knew Faith was a fighter. She didn't want to leave before she knew it was just a state of shock, and nothing worse.

Faith followed Kim down the rig that was parked in front of her building. Bobby looked on, a little confused. But decided not to question anything that was going on. Kim checked Faith's blood pressure, and she didn't like the numbers she saw.

"You are at a very high risk of really hurting yourself, if you don't get to a hospital. You could even have a heart attack Your kids need you more then they ever have, so I'm going to take you to Mercy."

Faith simply nodded, then got in the back of the rig. She heard her tell Bobby that they had to get to Mercy. Then Kim joined her in the back, glad he was not using the sirens as they went to the hospital.

Kim took her friend's hand, and just held it the entire way to Mercy.

"You'll get trough this, somehow," Kim assured Faith.

"I never thought that this was how this would happen," Faith whispered.

"Just remember, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, you're the only friend I have, since I screwed things up royally with Bosco."

"No, you didn't. If you asked him, I'm sure he'll be here supporting you too."

When they got to Mercy, Faith was put into an exam room almost immediately. Kim stayed in one of the waiting rooms with Bobby, who still didn't know the whole story.

"Kim!" she heard a voice call.

"Yeah," Kim replied in the direction of the voice.

"Did I just see you bring Yokas in?" Bosco asked.

"Yeah."

"Is she all right?"

"She's going to be fine. I was just worried about her vitals."

"What happened?"

Kim looked at him, helplessly. "I can't tell you anything more then she was having a really bad panic attack, and I was afraid she might have a heart attack."

"Because of?"

"Fred."

"Did he find out about, you know?"

"No, that wasn't it. Look I'm sure she'd really like to see you right about now. Why don't you go ask her yourself."

"I think I'm about the last person she wants to see right now."

Kim shook her head. "You are far from the last person she wants to see. She could really use all the friends she can get right about now, so don't let the other night stop you."

"Can't you tell me anything more?"

"I'm sorry, it's really something she'd have to want to tell you."

Bosco nodded. Kim told him where he could find Faith, and he went to the room. He watched and waited till the nurse left, then slipped into the room.

"Bosco?" Faith asked.

"I saw you come in earlier, I wanted to know what happened, and Kim wouldn't tell me," he told her.

"She's a really good friend."

Bosco nodded. "So what about the other night? Are we good?"

"Yeah, I want us to be good. I'm not sorry it happened, I just regret the timing."

He nodded. "What happened?"

They never needed a lot of words to be able to communicate. He knew that something really bad had happened, and he needed to know what. So that he could help her any way he could.

Faith looked down at the floor. "Fred left."

"I thought you wanted a divorce anyway."

"I did, I do- It's just that he really left. He's gone, for good. He doesn't even want to see the kids again."

"You have to be lying to me cause you don't want me to know the real truth."

"That's it, Bos. He's gone, for good."

Bosco realized that she wasn't lying to him. He couldn't believe that Fred would actually leave his family like that.

"So what now?" he asked her.

"I really don't know. I guess I have to tell the kids what's going on. After that, I guess it's going to be a long road to being healed," she replied.

"I'll help with that in any way I can."

She smiled at him, and began to cry again. "Thank you, Bos, I really appreciate it after the way I treated you."

Without words she had apologized to him about walking out that night, and he had accepted her apology.

"What are friends for?" he asked.

"Yeah." She pulled her wedding ring off. "Mind throwing this somewhere where it'll never be found?"

"Be glad to."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

She smiled at him, weakly. "So we're friends, and that's all?"

"For now, yes. If you ever want something else when all this is over, I'll be there."

"Thank you."

"I have to get back out, but if you need me, call me, anytime and I'll be there."

She smiled at him. "Thank you so much."

He left the room, and soon the doctor came back, and told her that she could go. He also prescribed her some anti anxiety pills, until she was able to see a therapist, to keep her from having a full out panic attack, or worse.

Now her biggest problem was going to be telling the kids that their father would probably never come back. She didn't know how she was going to do it, but she was going to be a single mother.

tbc...

end notes: yeah, i know not how i'd expect fred to act, but keep in mind nothing's happened after after 32 bullets and a broken heart, so i suppose it could happen this way... as i said drama, and angst too, not what i had planned but when the muse whispered into my ear i thought we could make it work, so here it is... pls tell me what you think... up next faith has to tell the kids


	11. 11

TITLE: A Friend in Need   
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)   
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: hmm another one focusing on the kids, i know they're acting a little bit older then they are, but i think it works given the situation, i really hope you like this whole part of this storyline, it was not at all what i had planned but i like it just the same, reviews always keep me going so pls? 

Faith was in her apartment, alone. It was so quiet with no one there, she realized. It seemed so empty, more so then any other time she had been there alone. There were pictures everywhere of a happy family who no longer existed she could hardly stand to look at them.

She was waiting for her mother to return with the kids. She never wanted someone next to her, holding her hand, more then she had at that moment. But that was impossible now. Everything was going to hell, and she had to keep it all together somehow.

Even though she felt like she just wanted to curl up, put a blanket over her head and surrender she knew she couldn't.

She had to be strong for her kids, and she had to make them believe that it was all going to be okay, even though she wasn't sure it would be.

It was a relief that a least something had gone right that day. The whole problem with Bosco had all but resolved itself. Of course that seemed minute in comparison to what she was now facing.

She still found it hard to believe that Fred would just walk out on them. It only proved to her how deeply seeded his alcoholism had become. He actually chose to abandon everyone who loved him instead of getting himself better.

She understood that addiction was a disease, but she never thought she'd see how much it could tear a person apart.

She couldn't believe that man she once loved had actually done what he had. She knew he had changed since they were married, but she never thought it had been that much.

Part of her wanted to believe that he would come back once he sobered up. She knew somehow that that was not the case.

He had chosen to drink over his family. She knew that even if he did get better, they probably wouldn't see him again for a very long time, if at all.

Fred was not the type of person who would do something like that toy with another person's emotions. When he acted that drastically the choice he made was permanent, and there was no changing his mind, and she knew that.

She was just shocked that he was able to leave his kids,. They had always seemed like his driving force since they were born. A lot of the time she knew they were the only reason he kept on fighting..

Now she was going to have to tell them that their father was gone, and that he was probably never going to come back. How does a mother tell her children something like that?

How do you tell your kids that their father, who's supposed to love them unconditionally up and left? How do you help them deal with their pain, when you're already in so much yourself?

Faith wasn't sure what to do, but she knew the time would come all too soon where she would have to figure it out. She had to be the responsible, together, one she had no choice.

She knew that Charlie would take it especially hard. She also knew that Emily might try to hide her real feelings about the issue for her, and that scared her. Emily could be so much like her sometimes it frightened her.

Her daughter was a closed book, who did not like to show people that she needed help when she was hurting. Faith understood how hard it could be to put yourself against the world, and didn't want to see her daughter going through the pain of doing that.

She also feared Emily might blame herself for the whole thing because she had screamed at Fred right before he left.

How was she going to get them understand that this was all Fred's choice, and there was nothing that could have been done to stop him?

She saw the door open, and the kids were laughing and smiling. It seemed that they had almost forgotten when they had seen earlier. She was happy they seemed to have dealt with some of the earlier emotions but what was coming up was going to be far worse.

She just didn't know how they would ever be the same again after finding out their father had left them. When they were born all she wanted to do was shield them from the big bad world, but that was impossible.

Now they would see just how bad the world could be at only eight and ten. She at least thought she had a few more years until they had to be taught about the reality of the harsh world around them.

It hardly seemed fair that two kids so young would have to see their worlds crashing in around them. But, as they say, life's not fair.

"Where's Fred?" Faith's mother asked her.

"He's out," Faith replied.

"Oh, well I'll leave you three alone, then."

"Thanks, Mom, I'll call you later?"

"All right, later, Faith."

Faith gave her mother a chaste hug before she left the apartment. As much as she wanted some kind of support in telling them, she knew it would be better if it was just the three of them.

The door was barely closed, when Charlie asked, "when's Dad gonna be back?"

Faith looked at the floor. She had no idea what to tell her kids. She thought that it would be best to just tell them the truth, and not beat around the bush. At the same time she just had no idea what to tell them.

"I don't know when your father's going to be home, Sweetie," Faith told her son.

"Where is he?" Emily asked.

"I don't know," replied Faith.

"What do you mean you don't know where he is?" asked Charlie, worried.

"Just at is says, Charlie. I don't know where he is, and I don't know when he'll be back. Or even if he's gonna be back."

"Did you ask him to leave again?"

"No, honey, I didn't. He decided he wanted to leave all on his own."

Charlie looked up at his mother, his eyes filled with tears. "He's gonna come back right?"

"I'm sorry, honey, I don't think he's gonna come back this time. I want him to, but I really don't think he will."

"So, what happens now?" Emily asked.

Faith knew she should have answers for her children, but she simply didn't. She didn't know what the next few minutes might entail, let alone reassuring them that their future would be just fine.

She honestly didn't know what was going to happen to them. She didn't know how she was going to pay for childcare. She didn't know how she was going to keep working and still know that her kids were being raised right.

A part of her wanted to ask her mother for help, but her mother was package deal with her father. She knew that her father was probably a worse male role model then Fred had been.

Another part of her wanted to just lie to them, but she knew that would make things far worse in the long run. She just didn't know what was going to happen next.

What she really wanted to do was to lock herself in her room and cry for a few days, but her kids needed her, more then they ever had before.

"Mom?" asked Emily.

"Yeah?" Faith said, snapping out of her train of thought.

"What happens now?"

"I wish I knew, Em."

Emily began to cry. Faith hugged her daughter. It was not long before Faith had started to cry as well. She just didn't know what she was going to do. Charlie went over and hugged his mother and sister.

"It's gonna be all right," Charlie whispered, trying to act brave.

Faith was glad that her kids seemed to be helping her with this. She knew that they would all have to work together to get through what had just happened. She knew that she had a great support system with Bosco and Kim.

She just hoped that her kids would get some help from their friends at school She knew how kids could be sometimes, and hoped none of their friends would ditch them because of what had happened with Fred.

The last thing they needed was to lose anyone else they cared about. She knew that this was going to be the hardest thing they would have to deal with, and hoped that they could heal from the experience.

"Are you still gonna be working as much?" Charlie asked.

Faith nodded. "I almost have to," she explained.

"Oh."

"This isn't what I wanted to happen, but we're going to have to get used to changes."

"Are you going to get a new job?" Emily asked.

"I don't think so. It's not that easy to just get a new job."

"But, you could die! Then what would happen?" Emily cried.

Faith had not thought about that before. She always knew her job was dangerous, though she never liked to admit it. At least before she was fine with the idea of Fred taking care of the kids if something ever happened to her.

Now Emily had reminded her just how bad it could be if she ended up more then hurt on the job. Faith knew she didn't want to quit her job, but part of her had to consider it.

"Emily, I'll be extra careful at work," Faith told her daughter.

Emily nodded. "I'm going to my room."

Faith watched helplessly as Emily went to her room, and closed the door behind her.

"Mommy?" Charlie whispered.

"Yeah?" Faith asked.

"Am I supposed to be the man now?"

Faith shook her head. "No, you can just be you."

He started to cry. "I'm scared, Mommy."

"You know what? So am I."

"Is Emily gonna be okay?"

"I think so, I'll talk to her later."

Charlie looked up at his mother, his eyes wide. "What did we do wrong?"

Faith allowed some tears to escape, "none of us did anything wrong. Your dad is just really sick, and he thinks that leaving will help him get better."

"If he's sick why doesn't he just get better?"

"It's not that kind of sick. I know it's really hard for you to understand that, and I wish I knew how to explain it to you. But we're gonna talk to someone about everything, and hopefully he or she can answer all the questions I can't."

He nodded. "Can I get sick like that?"

"No, you're not gonna get sick like him."

"Why'd he go away?"

"I wish I knew, Charlie."

"Is it cause he doesn't love us?"

"I think he still loves you, and he always will. He just doesn't know how to show it anymore."

"Will you ever forget?" He asked, sadly.

"No, I can never forget how much I love you, and your sister. We're all gonna get better from this, all right Charlie. It's gonna be really hard but we're gonna get better."

"I know we will, Mom. I'm gonna go talk to Emily."

Faith nodded, and watched as her son disappeared into his room with his sister. She knew that they would probably be the most help to each other, but she felt a little left out.

She looked around the living room, and made a mental note of stuff she needed to move, or get rid of to help her to forget the pain of Fred leaving. She didn't want to erase him from their lives, she just didn't want items that brought back memories everywhere she turned.

xxxx

That night Faith couldn't sleep. Although it had been over a month since had shared a bed with her husband, suddenly that night it bugged her to be alone. She quietly crept into the kitchen, to make herself a warm drink to help her sleep.

She had just put the kettle on when she heard quiet footsteps behind her. She turned around, somewhat surprised to see her daughter standing there in her pajamas.

"Can't sleep?" Faith asked her.

"No," replied the ten year old.

"How about we have some hot chocolate then?"

Emily smiled. "I'd like that."

Faith got the hot chocolate mix, and the marshmallows out. Then she got an extra mug out of the cupboard. When the kettle boiled she fixed the hot chocolate. Brought the two mugs to the table, handed her daughter one, then sat at down across from her.

"Are you all right?" Faith asked.

"Was it my fault?" Emily asked, matter-of-factly.

"Was what your fault?"

"That Daddy left."

"Of course not, Emily, it was nobody's fault."

"But I yelled at him, and told him that I didn't want to live with him!" She began to cry.

"That's not why he left, Emily. You were hurt, and you wanted him to know that."

"And now he's gone. And I didn't even get to tell him that I do love him."

Faith nodded. "He knows."

"Is he really never coming back?"

"Yeah, Emily, I really don't think that he's going to come back."

"I just want to say I'm sorry to him."

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

She looked up at Faith, not believe what she had just said.. "I shouldn't have said that stuff, Mom."

"You can't take it back now. You never know what's going to happen, you always think that you'll be able to apologize later. It really hurts when you can't, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. I just want things to go back to normal again."

"I'd like that too, but that's not the way life is. Things change, and a lot of the time it's not the good kind of change."

"And you didn't ask him to go?"

"I would never ask him to go. I was going to leave, and find a new place to live, Emily. I wanted him to keep taking care of you the way he had been. I never thought he'd just leave."

"What happens next?"

"We just keep living. We'll go to therapy and talk about everything that's going on. I'll have to find someone to take care you when I'm working, and we just keep living. Some days it's going to hurt a lot, and other days it'll seem like normal again."

Emily nodded. "Is this growing up?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Then I don't want to grow up anymore. It hurts too much."

Faith nodded. "You can't just stop. There are day where I even I wish I could stop it, but I can't."

"Does everything hurt so much when you're growing up?"

Faith shook her head. "No, some parts are really good, and some parts aren't."

:"Will you always be here for me?"

"You know I can't promise that, but for right now, and for a long time I'll be here."

"What if something happens to you at work?"

"Why are you so scared about that all of a sudden?"

"Cause Dad's not here anymore. At least before if you got hurt, we had him. But now that he's gone if you get hurt we don't have anyone."

"I could just as easily get hurt on my way to work."

"But your work is really dangerous. Why do you have to do it?"

"Cause I like to help people."

"You can help people other ways."

Faith nodded. "I could but then I'd be really unhappy. I actually like my job, most days. Emily, you know how I always say you can be anything you wanna be?"

"Yeah."

"That's what being a police officer is for me. It's what I've always wanted to do. When I told my parents what I wanted to be they laughed at me, and told that I couldn't do it cause I was a girl. I told them there were a lot of women who were police officers, but that didn't matter. I wanted to do it even more."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the whole time while I was in training, everyone, even your Dad told me that I wouldn't get a job even if passed all my training. They told me they'd still love me, and not to get upset if I didn't make it. But I did, I had to show them Emily. I had to show them that I could do anything that I wanted to. So that I could tell you one day to be anything you want to be."

Emily nodded. "It's so dangerous, Mom."

"I know it is, and I'll try to be extra careful. I may even ask for a job where I don't have to work the same hours, and be on the street. So that you know that I'm willing to let something go for you, like your dad couldn't."

Emily smiled. "You don't have to, if you don't wanna."

"I don't know what I want right now. I want what's best for you and your brother."

"Why'd he leave and mess everything up?"

"I'd like to know that too, Em."

"Why'd he do this to us?"

Faith went over and hugged her daughter. "Sometimes there are things that we're not supposed to know, I guess this is one of those things."

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure I didn't do anything wrong?"

"You did absolutely nothing wrong, and never let yourself think anything different."

She was still crying. "Are we bad kids?"

"No, you're not bad. You are your brother are the best kids I could have ever gotten This had nothing to do with you two being good or bad. It was because he was really sick."

"Do you think he'll get better?"

"Probably."

"How could I forgive him if he came back and he was better?"

Faith shook her head. "I really don't know, but how about you wait to figure that out until you have to. Right now just try to make yourself better. All right?"

"All right. If he ever did come back would you be mad if we talked to him again?"

"I wouldn't be mad. I'd only be mad if he hurt you again."

Emily nodded. "Are you gonna be okay, Mom?"

"I will be, just like you will be."

"Are you sure we're gonna be all right?"

"I'm absolutely sure. I know it seems like it's impossible right now, but sometimes you're able to do impossible things to keep living."

"How do you know for sure?"

"Cause I've healed from some things I never thought I could."

"Like what?"

"When I was a little older then you my best friend died. I thought that I'd never be able to be normal again, but I did it."

"How did she die?"

"In a car crash. But right before she left with her parents, I got mad at her about something. I don't even remember what it was now, but it was stupid. And I thought if only I could tell her I was sorry, or something. But that's life."

Emily nodded. "So you're saying that it'll get better?"

"Yeah, it will."

"Thank you, Mom."

"Any time, Emily. I'll always be here when you need to talk."

Emily half smiled. "All right, well, I'm really tired, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Emily went back into her room. It amazed Faith how much she had had to grow up since the day before. She hated that that had happened to her kids, but she had no control over any of it.

Faith soon went back into her own room, to try and get some sleep. When she did finally fall asleep it was not a restful kind of sleep, and she tossed and turned all night. She even woke up a few times in the night, and cried herself back to sleep.

She wondered how the kids were doing, if she was this bad after deciding that she wasn't even in love with her husband anymore. How could he have done this to hem? How could she not have seen it coming?

tbc...

end notes: we'll be getting back to a little kim and bobby in the next one, i just felt that the kids individual reaction to the whole thing was needed, i'm really digging where this fic is going, and i hope you do too, pls r&r?


	12. 12

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: we've got conflict, we've got kids, we've got fluff all rolled into a nice neat package, what more can you ask for? hehe... reviews help the muse so tell us what you think...

It had been two weeks since Fred had left, and there was no sign of him coming back. Faith was at Kim's having coffee together, as they both had a day off.

"Are you sure that Bobby can handle three kids at the park?" Faith asked Kim.

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't think he could do it," Kim assured her friend. "Besides I bet your kids just need some time to just be kids."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, God knows they haven't had much kid time of late. I hate that they have to go through this."

"It must be horrible for all of you. I can't imagine what you must be going through. How are you doing today?"

"I think today is a good day."

Kim smiled. "They seem to be handling it well."

"I'm not sure they know exactly what's going on."

"I guess not. How did you explain that to them?"

Faith shook her head. "It's really hard, but the therapists are helping a lot. Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Do you think I should get a new job?"

"Why?"

"Just something Emily is thinking. She is terrified that I'm going to die on the job, and that she's not going to have anyone left in her life."

"If I was her age and I saw what happened, I'd be afraid of that too."

"Yeah, I know, but should I quit just for that reason?"

"What are the chances of you getting shot before Bosco?"

Faith couldn't help but laugh. "I know that, but I still feel like a horrible mother for putting my life in danger just to do a job that I like."

Kim shrugged. "I guess that's the eternal struggle, family versus self right? I mean more so for a mother, cause people just expect women to drop everything and just be "Mom" and nothing else."

"Yeah, don't I know it. But at least before they had Fred filling such an important role in their lives that I couldn't really do."

"Can you really play that role now?"

"I guess not, but I could get a job that's not so dangerous."

"You could just as easily die from getting run over by a bus walking to a desk job."

Faith nodded. "I know you're right, but I still worry."

"It's just a matter of how much of a compromise you're willing to make. I was going try and be a firefighter before I found out I was pregnant."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I had to let that go for him, because I just couldn't live with the idea of both of his parents running into burning buildings wanting to go out in the blaze of glory. It's all about compromise. Jimmy wanted me to quit my job as a medic."

"Why didn't you?"

"Cause I love my job, and I'm normally careful. Accidents happen, but they can happen anywhere and on any job. I gave up one dream, but gained so much more. I'd rather have Joey have a mother who has happy with a job that was a little dangerous, then be unhappy at one that was super safe."

Faith nodded. "I think I understand. I just don't want to quit my job, it's the only thing I have control over right now."

"Then don't. You can still be a good mother and keep your job. You just have to make sure that don't put yourself in a place where you will end up hurt, or worse just for the sake of being a hero."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Kim smiled. "In the end it all comes down to what you want to do. You don't have to give up your job for your kids to be happy."

"I know, but still."

"If you really thinks it's better for everyone involved then do it. If not just do like you're doing it's not hurting anyone is it?"

"I understand, really, I do. It's just that I feel like people think I'm a bad mother for keeping my job after everything that's happened with Fred."

Kim nodded. "Kind of stupid that people would call you a bad parent when you're still around, and he's long gone huh?"

Faith laughed. "I know. There's days where I just want to yell at the people who think I can't hear what they're saying how bad of a mother I am."

"You're not a bad mother." Kim assured Faith. "You're just adjusting to a new role."

"Exactly, I went from being a career oriented person with a house husband, to being a single mother trying to juggle my full time stressful paying job, with a full time even more stressful unpaid job. But everyone says poor Fred just couldn't handle the stress of it. What about all the house wives out there that do it?"

Kim nodded. "There's defiantly a double standard. If you had left and one of your kids became a serial killer then it'd be your fault, and if they became a serial killer now, after Fred's left, it'd still be your fault for not spending enough time with them."

Faith laughed. "It's crazy, I'm the one that's still around, and will continue to be around for them, trying my best, but I'm the bad parent."

"Exactly. I have a few people who still hassle me because of my job. But no one ever gets mad a Jimmy who would be perfectly content to die in a fire. No one would say anything if he went out in the blaze of glory after running into a fire. It's not like he thinks about how the consequences might effect his son before he runs head first into danger."

"It's a really stupid double standard." Faith agreed. "You never hear the murders say that they wouldn't have done it only their father had spent more time with him."

Kim nodded. "We just get blamed for everything. I guess it's the price we pay for living in a man's world."

The door to Kim's apartment had opened in the middle of the sentence. Bobby was standing in the doorway. Charlie and Emily were on either side of him, and Joey was on his back getting a piggy back ride.

"Is this bad timing or what?" Bobby chuckled, nervously. "If you need more time I can take this bunch for ice cream."

Knowing that after he said it, he'd have to do it. He didn't feel like ending up in a gender bashing conversation with those two.

"Ice cream?" all three kids, asked, excitedly.

"That'd be great, thank you Bobby," Faith said.

"It's all right with both of you?" he asked.

"I'm fine with that, you know by now how much is too much."

Bobby smiled. "Did you want me to bring anything back?"

"No thanks," Faith said.

"I'm good," Kim assured him.

"All right, we'll be back in about an hour, I guess then. Love you, Kim."

She smiled. "All right. Love you, too."

Bobby left the two women alone once again.

"Why are you doing complaining about men when you've managed to catch one like that?" Faith laughed.

Kim was grinning. "Cause I also have to deal with Jimmy?"

Faith laughed. "I guess that's fair then. He seems to be really good with kids."

"Yeah, Bobby'll make a great father."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you two were that serious."

Kim laughed, nervously. "I don't mean within the next nine months, but one day. He's amazing with kids."

"What does Joey think of all of what's going on?"

"He loves it, he gets extra attention from Bobby."

"Hasn't Bobby always been around?"

"Yeah, he's always been great with Joey. But since we've been dating he's been amazing."

"Must be nice."

"You'll find someone like that when you're ready."

"I hope so."

"Talking about partners, how are you and Bosco doing these days?"

Faith smiled. "He's been really supportive. He's even offered to take the kids overnight if I really need a break."

"Wow."

"Yeah, when he told me I thought that he had been replaced by a body double. He's always gotten along with the kids, but I never thought he'd offer to take them overnight for me."

"Maybe there more there then you think?"

Faith shook her head. "I doubt that somehow. Bosco has almost the same reputation as Jimmy, remember?"

Kim laughed. "You have a point there. But everyone does grow up eventually."

"I guess so. When do you think Jimmy might grow up?"

"I'm hoping it's sometime before Joey hits puberty."

Faith laughed. "You can't believe how much I needed a gab session."

"You know you can call me anytime and I'll try to set something up."

Faith smiled. "I know, and I really appreciate it. It's so hard though with our schedules."

"Don't I know it. How is it working with childcare?"

"It's not," Faith admitted. "No can work the hours that I need them there. I'm actually considering going to one of those au pair agencies."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we'd have to move so that the person would have a room, but at least that way I wouldn't have to worry about my hours so much. I could probably afford a new apartment with the money I'd save on childcare."

"I'd be really nervous about that."

"I've heard some pretty bad stories too, but, it's not all bad. Besides, I'm a New York City police officer, if there's a criminal in my own house I think I'd figure it out before the situation got too out of hand."

Kim laughed. "It actually seems like a really good solution for you."

"Yeah. I'm really low on options right now. I don't have nearly enough seniority to get a day job. If I apply for any kind of promotion I'd start back on midnights, and that would be worse."

"Yeah."

"I know there are some disadvantages, but there are a lot of advantages too. I wouldn't have to worry about the sitter not being able to stay later if something happens and I'm tied up at work, or am offered an extra shift."

"That's true. And you could even go out after work once in a while."

Faith laughed. "Once I'm ready to go out, of course. See it's not a terrible idea. I'm going to do a lot of research before I actually jump in with both feet. But I really think it could be a good option for us."

"Yeah, I agree."

"So he thinks he'll be done at the ice cream shop in an hour?"

Kim laughed. "It'll probably take him a little while longer then that to wrangle three kids on sugar highs."

"He's a brave man, bring three kids for ice cream alone."

The two women started laughing so hard they were almost crying. They knew, one kid at an ice cream shop could be a handful, neither could imagine bringing three by herself. She knew that Bobby wouldn't let them go overboard, and they wouldn't end up with a few sick kids when he got back.

She and Faith continued their chat, glad to have some time for some good girl talk, and to have a bit of a break from her kids. She loved them, but she was glad that someone else was taking care of them without charging her a fortune for it.

xxxx

Later that night Kim and Bobby were curled up on the couch, watching an old movie on TV. Joey was tucked safely in bed, and had not made a peep since she had read him his bedtime story.

Bobby lightly kissed Kim's forehead. She purred, and snuggled in closer to him. She loved the feeling of having him close. It wasn't often that they could just relax and enjoy being in one another's company.

He began running his fingers through her hair. Her eyes began to get a little heavy, but she didn't want to fall asleep. She just wanted to watch the movie, and savour every moment with him.

"Bobby," she whispered. "You're going to put me to sleep."

"It's late, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing."

"No, I like just being like this."

He smiled. "All right."

"Faith was impressed that you were able to handle the three kids alone."

"They're good kids, it wasn't hard."

Kim nodded. "Still, most guys wouldn't be able to handle that."

He shrugged. "I've always liked kids, you know that."

"Yeah, you're gonna be a really good father."

"Yeah."

"So you want kids?"

"This isn't your way of telling me we're going to be having one is it?"

She laughed. "No, I'm sure I'm not pregnant."

"How sure?"

"Absolutely sure. You didn't think it was odd that I suggested we just watch a movie tonight?"

He laughed, figuring out what she meant.. "Gotcha. To answer your question, of course I want a to have kids one day. Maybe a son just like Joey, he's a great kid. Or maybe a little girl who is just like her amazing mother."

Kim laughed. "I'm sure that my mother would tell me that I was far from an amazing child."

"Probably, but I know that kids aren't perfect. Faith's kids are good kids too, with all they're dealing with, it's amazing that they can still just be kids."

Kim nodded. "I couldn't imagine having to go through that when I was their ages. Joey wouldn't know what to do with himself if he couldn't brag about his daddy."

"Yeah, I know. How's Faith doing?"

"I think she's doing all right. She was really glad that you took the kids today so that we could just talk."

"I got the impression that she really needed to talk without little interruptions."

"Yeah," she kissed him lightly. "It was very much appreciated."

"Do you think we'll have a kid some day?"

"I think there's a very strong chance that I might let you be the father of my next child."

He smiled at her. "So how serious are we?"

She shrugged. "Serious enough to talk about the future."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, I think that's it, for now. Let's just talk about it for a little while."

"As you wish." He kissed her lightly. "But don't forget that you told me once how you wanted a guy to propose to you."

She laughed. "You remember that?"

"I always remember stuff like that. I also remember a lot of the details of your dream wedding."

"Why would you remember that?"

"Kim, I told you I was in love with you for a long time before I actually told you. After you told me stuff like that I'd kind of file it away in my brain, just in case one day I had the chance to use it."

She smiled. "I'm going to find a flaw in you."

He shrugged. "They're there, you just haven't seen 'em yet."

"Or maybe they just don't bug me?"

"That could be it, too." He glanced at the TV. "The movie's over, I should be getting home."

"Stay?"

He was start to get up, and her question stopped him in his tracks. Most of the time he only stayed when Joey wasn't there. He wanted to the night, and wake up next to her, he just wasn't really sure if Joey would understand what was going on.

"I don't know Kim, Joey's here tonight."

"It's not like we'll be doing anything. I just want to feel you close to me tonight. I really like waking up next to you."

He smiled. "I like waking up next you too, maybe we should try and do it more often?"

"Maybe, but remember, we're still in the talking about the future phase."

He laughed. " I know, it would be so amazing to be able to wake up and see your face smiling at me every morning."

"Eventually you'd get sick of it."

"I don't think so. Even when your hair is grey, and you've got laugh lines, crows feet, and wrinkles all over your face I'd still know how beautiful you are."

She smiled at him. "You're too much sometimes."

He was standing over her, as she sat on the couch. He leaned down, and brushed a stray hair out of her face. He then brushed his lips lightly against hers. She sighed lightly in response to the gentle touch. He pulled away, but kept his face close to hers.

"I'll always love you," he whispered.

She looked right into his eyes, and smiled. "And I'll love you forever," she told him.

She suddenly needed to stand up, what they were doing was much to intense, and she felt flustered.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, concerned.

"I'm fine," she lied.

"Kim?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist, in a swift embrace. She then nuzzled her head into his chest, and just held him tightly.

"Bobby," she whispered. "Promise me you'll never leave me."

"I promise," he assured her, kissing her forehead.

"I mean it, Bobby. I don't want to feel what Faith is right now."

"I'd never do that to you. I love you too much to hurt you like that."

She nodded. "I want to marry you, one day Bobby, but I'm afraid."

"What are you afraid of?"

"That it'll end like with Jimmy. That I won't be good enough and you'll be with someone else."

"You're the only person I've wanted to be with in a very long time. That's why I wouldn't call people back after I was with them. It wasn't right for me to lead them on like that, when I knew I was already in love. I could never stray."

She could tell by the look in his eyes, that he was telling the truth.

"Jimmy was an idiot for going anywhere but to you, and one day he'll realize that, and it'll be too late," he told her.

"It's already too late. I only want to be with you from now on."

He kissed her lightly. "Really?"

"Yeah, but I want just us to know about this. Once other people get involved, I start getting scared, and I don't want to lose you."

"All right, what are you saying?"

She looked right into his eyes. "Bobby, I want you to know that I want to marry you. It may take me a while to tell people that that's what I want. But I want you to know, you're all I want."

He kissed her lightly. "Is this just talking?"

She shook her head. "No, this is real. I just don't want everyone to know that I feel like this, cause it still scares me. But I need you to know that I'm committed to you, and only to you, even if no one else done."

He smiled, then kissed her lightly. "I'll wait as long as it takes for you to be comfortable telling everyone the whole truth about us."

"I knew you'd understand."

"Just tell me when, and we'll make it all official."

She kissed him. "Don't worry, you'll know. Now let's get to bed before I get a jump start on those wrinkles you told me you'd love."

He laughed, and followed her into her room. She handed him one of his old T-shirts, then disappeared into the bathroom. When she came back into the room she was wearing another T-shirt that looked familiar to him.

"So that's where my shirts are going," he laughed. "I didn't think that I was getting that absent minded doing laundry."

She climbed into the bed next to him.

She laughed. "Sorry, I should have told you I was borrowing them."

He gave her a look. "Borrow?"

"I always bring them back, and take new ones."

"Why don't you just keep the ones you already go away with stealing?"

"Because after a little while they don't smell the same."

"What?"

She blushed. "I take them, because they smell like you, and it helps me to sleep when you're not here."

He smiled at her, then kissed her lightly. She pulled away from the kiss only a moment, before she pulled way. She then nuzzled her face into his chest, and took a deep breath in.

"You always smell so good," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Though I'm not sure if I should be worried about you smelling me all the time."

She laughed. "At least I'm telling that you smell good."

"So what do I tell Joey if he starts asking questions if I'm up before you?"

She shrugged. "That you're like my teddy bear?"

He laughed. "I'm serious Kim. I'm sure that he knows that it's usually married people who sleep in the same bed."

She nodded. "I guess you could tell him that since we're in love that's okay too. If he starts asking a bunch of other questions, just use common sense, and answer any that you can."

"And when in doubt, say 'ask your mother?'"

She laughed. "Exactly. See you'll be a great father one of these days."

He smiled at her. "You sure you're not trying to tell me something?"

"I'm not pregnant, Bobby, you can examine the garbage in bathroom if you don't believe me. If I was though, you'd be the first to find out."

He kissed her lightly. "How many more kids do you want?"

"I think just one more. It wouldn't be fair to Joey if we decided to a few kids just when he's about to hit puberty."

He nodded, and then began to run his finger through her hair. She smiled at him, then closed her eyes. Before too long she had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

tbc...

end notes: i told you i'd have some kim/bobby stuff in this one, so there it is hehe... any reviews always graciously accepted i love to hear what people think about what i'm doing, it just makes me think that someone appricates it hehe


	13. 13

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: all right we've skipped ahead a few months, and there's some moving in going on, you'll see, for the record katri is an actual finnish name, and is what i plan on calling my daughter if by chance i fall in love with someone enough to have a child (which is not bloody likely) 

"What are the chances of us picking the same weekend to move someone in?" Kim laughed over the phone.

"I know. I still can't believe that you let him move in," Faith chuckled.

"We have been dating for what is it? Almost six months now."

"I know, that but I was afraid you were going to run the other way when you first started seeing each other."

Kim laughed. "I wanted to, remember? You talked me into going for it."

"Aren't you glad I did?"

"Yes, I am, because it was really good advise." Kim needed to change the subject. "So what do you know about this au pair?"

"Well I know she's a girl, which is good, I guess. A guy would have been nice just so that Charlie would have someone to talk to."

"Yeah, that has to be rough for him. I'm sure Bosco wouldn't mind helping him out."

Faith laughed. "That's true, Bosco is crazy about Charlie. He's been so good with him since Fred left."

"And you think he isn't growing up."

"Which one?" Faith laughed.

Kim laughed as well. "Either one, I guess. We're getting a little off topic here."

"Yeah, so the au pair. She's from Finland, and her name is Katri Salo. She's twenty years old, and apparently her English isn't too bad. She also speaks French, and of course Finnish."

"You nervous?"

"A little, I hope that she doesn't get here, and the kids hate her or something."

Kim laughed. "I don't think your kids are capable of hating anyone."

"You're probably right."

"It'll work out fine, and if it doesn't there's always another person right?"

"Yeah, this is going to work. We're going to make this au pair thing work."

"That's the sprit!"

Faith laughed, nervously. "I hate to cut this short, but I have some last minute stuff to do before she gets here."

"All right, we'll talk later?"

"Yeah, I'll call you when things are settled around here."

"Sounds good. Bye."

"Bye."

Kim had gone into her bedroom to make the phone call. She put the phone on it cradle, then heard the door slam shut.

"Kim?" she heard Bobby holler.

She ran into the living room from her bedroom. He was balancing three boxes, and she took the top one before it fell.

"Take it easy, Superman," she laughed. "I said I'd help you bring things up."

"I got impatient."

"I was just making a quick phone call."

"You and Faith don't know what a quick call is."

"Either way, you didn't have to take three boxes. You're lucky you didn't break your neck falling down the stairs."

He laughed. "I was going up the stairs."

She shook her head. "You know what I mean, you're lucky you didn't hurt yourself."

"You really find out who your friends are when you're moving, huh? I can't believe that everyone at the house was busy this weekend."

Kim laughed. "Just be happy that the storage guys took most of the heavy stuff. Besides I wouldn't want Carlos anywhere near my underwear drawer."

"Point taken." He laughed. "It's true about the storage guys, that was lucky. And I'm also happy that Jimmy did agree to take Joey for the night, cause this would be a lot harder with him under toe."

"He likes to try and help. He doesn't realize he's in the way sometimes."

He smiled. "I know. You sure there's going to be room for all the stuff that's not being stored?"

She shrugged. "I can't see why not."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her lightly. Soon they were lost in the kiss. She pulled away a long moment later.

"Bobby," she whispered. "How about we do this once we've got everything in here."

He shrugged, and kissed her again. "It can wait. I want to make love to you in our bed."

"It's the same bed, and it can wait."

He brushed her hair behind her ear. She smiled, and kissed him again. She then led him into the bedroom, knowing that he would not get back to work until he got his way.

XX

Faith sat in the living room, waiting for a knock at the door, while the kids were in their room playing. The new apartment was a bit bigger then the old apartment, and when they no longer needed the au pair the kids would get their own rooms.

Their new room was a lot bigger then the one they had previously shared, and both kids seemed to like the new apartment.

It had taken longer then Faith would have liked to find a suitable au pair. She just hoped that everyone would actually get along upon meeting. She had gone through hundreds of profiles before she finally found a few that she liked.

Faith jumped when she heard the buzz at the door, she allowed the caller up, and then heard the knock. She opened the door to see a young blond woman, with an older grey haired woman.

She knew the older woman as Mrs. Clarke, their liaison, and knew that the young girl must be Katri. Althgouth it was warm for mid September, Faith was surprised that the younger woman was wearing a summer dress.

"Come right in, and make yourself at home," Faith said.

The two women entered the apartment, and Faith shut the door behind them. They all kind of stood in the door way.

"Hi," Katri said, holding out her hand, even with the one word her accent was heavy. "It nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Faith said, shaking the girl's hand. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No thank you."

"Please, have a seat, you're making me nervous." Faith laughed. "The kids are in their room, if you'd like to meet them." Faith looked behind her, and saw two little faces peaking from behind the door way. "It looks like they're excited to meet you."

Emily and Charlie came out from where they were. Katri smiled seeing them. The two kids looked a little nervous.

"This is my son, Charlie, he's eight and my daughter Emily, she's ten," Faith told her.

"My sister is years ten," Katri said. "So I'm good with the ages."

"That's good, they're pretty good kids. They just need someone to help them with their homework, cook, and just be here to keep an eye on them."

Katri nodded. "That's good, I am not good with baby."

"It seems that everything here is under control," said Mrs. Clarke. "I'll let myself out, feel free to call if you have any questions."

The older woman left the apartment quietly, to let everyone get acquainted.

"Why are you wearing a dress?" Charlie asked.

"Cause it's still warm here," Katri told him.

"Is it true that there's always snow in Finland?"

Katri laughed. "No, it's just a little bit colder there then it is here."

"How do you like it New York so far?" Faith asked.

"It's busy."

"Yeah, this city never sleeps."

"They say you're a policeman."

"A police woman," Emily laughed, correcting the girl.

"Yes, sorry."

"It's okay, really." Faith replied. "I get it all the time, you're still learning. But, yes, I am a police officer."

Katri nodded. "Do you work lots?"

"An average day, eight hours mostly. But I work the three to eleven, most of the time. I sometimes take different shifts, but most of the time that's when you should expect to be alone here."

"Okay."

"I'll get up and get the kids to school, and until you have to pick them up, you can do whatever you'd like, really."

"Thank you."

"Would you like to see your room?"

"Please."

Katri picked up her suitcases and followed Faith into the small bedroom. The young girl smiled and put the stuff down. It had a double bed, with light grey and blue sheets and accessories. The dresser, vanity, and side tables were all light coloured wood.

Faith had chosen neutral colours to accommodate a male or female who might have been chosen to live with them.

"I hope it suits you," Faith said. "This is your room, so you can put what you'd like on the walls."

"I like it," she assured her.

"It must be so strange being so far from home."

Katri nodded. "Yes, but I think I like it here."

Faith smiled. "How about you get unpacked, and come out when you're ready? We just had breakfast, but if you're hungry just tell me."

"I just ate too."

"All right, as I said, make yourself at home."

XX

Kim and Bobby were curled up under the covers together. Their hands were twined together, and they seemed content to just lay there.

"You know, we're never going to get your stuff moved in at this rate," Kim laughed.

Bobby nodded. "I know, but it's just so nice to be with you. Can't we just stay like this?"

"Do you want to call Jimmy and ask him to keep Joey an extra day?"

"Why me?"

She laughed. "I don't think he'd go for it no matter who called him."

"I really wouldn't want to make that call. Hi, Jimmy, yeah, it'd be really great if you could just keep Joey all day Sunday. Why? Oh, I just couldn't seem to keep my hands off your ex wife."

Kim laughed. "That would not go over well at all."

"I wouldn't think so. I know we should get a move on. But this is just so nice."

"Once we get your stuff in here, if we wanted to, I guess we could spend the rest of the day just lounging. But we should at least get the boxes out of your car, all right?"

"I know. Moving in with you would be so much better if we could do it naked."

She laughed, kissing him lightly. "You'd be perfectly content to never wear clothes."

He shook his head. "No, Kim, I'd be much happier if it was you who was never wearing clothes."

She shook her head, then stood up and started to get dressed.

"Now that hurts," he laughed, putting his hand over his heart.

She smiled at him. "The sooner you get your stuff in here, the sooner you can undress me again, so get a move on."

He stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist. He then let one hand sneak up her shirt. She began to laugh.

"Bobby!" she snapped. "Let's just get this done."

"Fine, fine," he replied, pulling on his shorts.

The two of them were soon dressed, and began to unload the boxes from his SUV. She was impressed with how much stuff he had been able to cram inside.

"How did you have room for yourself in here?" she asked.

"I made room. I used play Tetris a lot, and people say you don't learn things from video games," he replied, with a lopsided grin.

She laughed. "Is this everything?"

"Yeah, everything else is in storage. I didn't feel like making two trips, that's why there's so much stuff stuffed in here."

"I guess it could be worse, right?"

"Yeah."

The two of them started to unload the SUV, and bring the boxes up to her apartment. Piling them all in the corner of the living room.

XX

Faith, meanwhile was just finishing up making lunch. She had decided to make macaroni and cheese. She called the kids, and Katri came out of her room too. Faith divided the pot of macaroni onto the four plates, then brought them all to the table.

"What's this?" Katri asked.

"It's macaroni and cheese," Emily answered.

"Oh, is the stuff in the blue box?"

"Yeah."

"We have it in Finland but it's expensive."

Faith laughed. "This is cheap food here."

"What kind of stuff do you eat?" Charlie asked.

"A lot of the same stuff as North America. But in Finland we eat a lot of hirvenliha- um, venison, I think that's what it's called in English."

"What's that?"

"Deer meat."

"Ew!"

"How do you know that?" Faith asked her son. "Have you ever had it?"

"No but-"

"Then don't knock it."

"I could make something with ground venison sometimes," Katri offered. "It tastes like hamburger meat, but it's better for you."

"I'm up to trying new things," Faith laughed.

"I'm trying new things too," Katri said, after trying her macaroni and cheese. "This is a little plain, but it's good."

Faith nodded. "We'll probably order in for supper."

"Order in?"

"Get take out, you know where they bring the food," Emily said.

"Oh! I understand!" said Katri.

Faith realized that there would be a lot for Katri to get used to in New York. She was used to living in a fairly small town in Finland, and a lot of things were going to be different for her.

When they had all finished eating Katri helped Faith to clean up after. Faith was glad for the help, as the kids still just left the table and went to play after a meal.

"When can I see New York?" Katri asked.

"I don't have a car, but I'm sure we could either walk, or take a cab and see some more of the city after supper."

"It's so different here. There are so many buildings."

Faith laughed. "Most of New York City is concrete."

"Does anyone have a house here?"

"Apartments are a lot easier to find, and cheaper."

"Do you like it here?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Is it dangerous? All my friend back home say New York City is very dangerous. They say, Katri you be careful you be hurt."

"I'm NYPD so I see a lot of bad stuff that happens in this city. But as long as you're careful, and you stay in the good neighbourhoods, you'll be all right. I'd also say it's not the best idea to go out walking alone at night."

Katri laughed, nervously. "All right. Is here safe?"

"I wouldn't have my kids here if it wasn't."

"Okay, you will help me keep safe too?"

"Yeah, that's my job."

Katri laughed, and the two of them finished cleaning up the last few dished. They then both went into their rooms.

Faith dialed Kim's number, and was surprised to not get an answer. She assumed that she was still busy moving in Bobby's stuff. How much stuff can one person have? She wondered.

XX

At Kim's she was on the couch, with Bobby sitting on her bum, giving her a back massage. Kim looked over at the ringing phone, as did Bobby.

"If those hands stop you're a dead man," she warned him.

He continued the gentle massage, as she purred with delight.

"You know it hardly seems fair that you're the one getting the massage when I did most of the moving," he told her.

"You offered," she reminded him. "You better not be changing from prince to frog now that I let you move in here."

He laughed. "You know I wouldn't do that."

"If you really want a back rub you just have to tell me."

"I'm enjoying touching you much too much."

"This is really nice, you have magic hands."

He kissed the nape of her neck, and she shivered at the touch.

"You're not the first girl who's told me that," he whispered. "But I hope you're the last."

She laughed. "How did I not know about this talent of yours before?"

"You never asked."

"Now that I know, I'm not going to stop asking."

He kissed the back of her neck again, and the continued the massage. He looked at the boxes that were piled against the wall.

"You know, if we keep this up, that stuff will never be moved," he pointed out.

"I know, but this feels so good."

He laughed. "We don't get much done without supervision, do we?"

"No we really don't, but at least we have fun."

The phone began to ring again, and she grumbled.

"Could you pass me the phone?" Kim asked.

Bobby stopped massaging her back, and picked up the cordless phone. He handed it to her, and then continued to massage her back.

"Hello?" Kim asked.

"Hi. Did I call at a bad time?" Faith asked.

"Not really, just getting a back rub."

"Aren't you the lucky girl?"

Kim laughed. "So how are things over there?"

"Good, actually, she seems really nice. Her English is pretty good too."

"That's always a plus."

"Yeah, and the kids seem to like her enough."

"What does she think about New York, it's probably a big change from where she's from."

"She says she likes it." Faith explained. "I told her we could go see the city after supper cause she's curious about it."

"I remember how much I wanted to explore the city when I moved here. I just wanted to see everything I had ever seen in a movie or read in a book."

Faith laughed. "I guess the mystique is lost on you when you've lived your whole life in the city."

"It really is. I'm glad things seem to be working out for you with this."

"I hope it stays this way." Faith laughed. "So how's the move going?"

"Slowly." Kim paused for a moment. "Mm, right there."

"Look, I'm gonna let you go before I hear something I really don't need to hear."

Kim laughed. "All right, see you later."

"All right, bye."

Faith hung up the phone, and shook her head. As much as she was happy for her friend, it still hurt to talk to her when Bobby was there with her sometimes. It was those moments that made her miss Fred.

He was the first person she had loved, and it still hurt that he had just walked out on her, and the kids. While the marriage was over, she thought he'd always be around, and it was strange that he wasn't.

Even though she knew that they wouldn't have been happily living together anymore, when she saw a happy couple she couldn't help but think it should be her and Fred. They had been in love for so long it was strange to think that they weren't anymore.

Also when she saw or was talking to Kim about Bobby, she couldn't help but let her mind wonder to Bosco. It wasn't too far of stretch, really, Bobby was, after all Kim's partner.

For a few long moments she liked to pretend that Bosco was really a good guy, and not a sex addict. Then reality would hit, and she'd remember that there was no way that she had a future with Bosco.

He was Bosco, the man who bragged about the chain of broken hearts he had left behind him. He was Bosco a man who prided himself on his bad reputation, and couldn't understand why so many of his exes wanted to kill him.

She knew he kept a list of all the strange places he had ever had sex. She also thought he may have a list of women that he wanted to nail just for the sake of saying that he had. The hard to get ones, as they call them.

She let herself wonder if maybe she was one of the woman he had always wanted to be with, as challenge. But she knew that she probably wasn't. She wasn't even his normal type.

He liked them good and dumb, and preferably blonde. She made a mental note to herself to not leave Bosco alone with the young au pair that was not living with her. She didn't think the girl was dumb, but the language barrier was more of a turn on then lack of brains for him sometimes.

That would be a story for Katri to go home and tell her friends. She went to New York City and was seduced by a cop who happened to work with the woman she was working for.

tbc...

end notes: all right so that was that, TWbasketcase mentioned that kim has had no drama nor angst, so i came up with something, very dramatic, done some research and i hope i don't over do it, you'll see soon, the muse kinda mentioned it and i listened and then i had to find some way that'd work... oh you'll see in due time...


	14. 14

TITLE: A Friend in Need   
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: we've got some faith bosco ust in here, as well as some kim angst, you'll see, i'm a little bit ahead and i have also started an epilogue (this way i can't cop out and not finish the fic cause i have the end written laugh) i'm really hoping ppl are digging where this is at what's coming 'round the bend reviews are always lovely 

It had been about a week since Katri had arrived. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and that night Katri was planning on making a meat pie, and Faith knew the kids would not try if she didn't.

She had arranged to take her meal time a little earlier then usual, so that she and Bosco could join them for supper. She hadn't really wanted to introduce Bosco to Katri, but she didn't have much of a choice.

Also the kids were asking why they hadn't been seeing Bosco as much. So it killed two birds with one stone. Bosco pulled up in front of Faith's new apartment, and realized he had not seen inside yet.

She wasn't even sure she had given him the new address. She felt like things had been strange between them since the night she had slept with him. Though, she knew that it was probably her fault.

Just because they had silently agreed not to bring it up, didn't mean she didn't think about it, a lot. She wanted to bring it up, but she just didn't know how. So instead of being an adult she was being a child and avoided the conversation.

Bosco had tried to bring it up, but she always made some excuse to change the subject, and he had given up on it. While she wanted to know what it really meant, she still wasn't ready to see if he had been serious.

She still wasn't really over what had happened with Fred, and she knew that if anything did happen with Bosco then it would make things far worse. So they just left the subject alone, and it was becoming like a pendulum swinging above their heads.

"So you're finally letting me see your new place," Bosco laughed.

"I couldn't very well keep it hidden from you forever," she replied.

"I guess not. So what does this nanny look like, she hot?"

Faith shook her head. "You try anything with my au pair and I'll stop feeding you."

He chuckled, nervously. "Come on Faith, how old is she?"

"Twenty."

"It's legal anyway. I can't promise I wont hit on her, but I won't deflower her."

Faith shook her head. "You know, one of these days you're gonna be a dirty old man sitting in a bar checking out all the young 'uns coming in."

He shook his head. "You don't know that I won't calm down one of these days."

"I'll see it when I believe it."

"You don't know that I won't settle down you know. I even might want a couple of kids some day."

Faith laughed. "Right, and you're gonna find a blue eyed blonde with long legs and big breasts who wants to settle down? There's an impossible dream."

He shook his head. "Who said she had to be a blue eye blonde?"

"That's the kind of girls you like to go after."

"If you must know I see myself settling down with a nice red head with a killer smile who actually looks healthy."

"Sure, whatever. You like 'em looking like rakes!."

"I hate it when I'm with a girl and I can see every rib on the rack. I like someone who takes care of herself. I'd also like it if she happened to have enough boobs to actually have fun with, of course."

She shook her head. "How about we drop this?"

He shrugged, and the continued up the stairs. Faith couldn't help but think that she fit the description he had just given her. She needed to stop the conversation before they went too far, again.

Part of her wanted to go back to when he'd only talk about the bimbos he said he was dating. Instead of him bringing up this vague dream woman who shared some attributes with her.

She chased the thought away as quickly as it had popped into her mind, there was no way that Bosco would want to settle down with her. Her and Bosco had been a one night thing, and it seemed that that's what they both wanted.

They entered the apartment. Katri was just setting the table, wearing another summer dress. Faith glanced at Bosco, who was trying to pick his jaw up off the floor.

"God! Why didn't I get babysitters like that when I was kid?" he grumbled.

"What happened to not liking blue eyed blondes?" she asked.

"I like 'em just fine, they're fun to nail. But I'm not gonna settle down with one of 'em I already know what kind of woman I wanna settle down with."

Faith shook her head. "Right. I'm serious Bosco, you do anything wrong, you're not coming back here while she's living with us."

Bosco gave her a puppy dog look. "That hurts."

"Bos, I wouldn't know about your reputation if you didn't brag about it all the time."

He laughed nervously, then the kids came out of their room to greet him. They each gave him a hug. He smiled seeing them, it had been much too long since their last visit.

Faith watched him with the kids, and wondered if maybe he could be the male role model they now needed. He smiled at her, and then started to play with the kids. She watched him, glad to see her kids so happy.

He seemed so natural with them too, almost like he was family. He had always been there for them. She always thought he was like an uncle, but she realized that he was more like their big brother sometimes.

"You like him?" Katri asked

Faith hadn't even noticed Katri come up behind her. When she spoke Faith nearly jumped out of her skin, she was startled. That was one thing about the young woman, she was very light on her feet, and she never heard her coming.

Katri probably thought Faith was a skittish as a barn cat, because she almost always jumped when she stated talking. It was just she was quiet, and she never heard Katri coming, and it always startled her.

"Who?" Faith asked.

"Your policeman friend. Do you like him?"

Faith laughed, nervously. "He's my partner, there's nothing between us."

"You look at him like you think he is beautiful."

"He's what I'd called eye candy."

"Eye candy?"

"Fun too look at."

"He is that, but there's something bad about him."

"You're right about that. He's certainly got his charms, I guess. But he's my partner, besides he's not the kind of guy you start liking."

"A heart breaker, that's the word?"

"Yeah, that's the word, and yes it would suit Bosco very much."

"Bosco?" Katri repeated. "That does not sound American."

Bosco appeared in front of her and shook her hand. "It's Italian, and it's a nickname."

"Nickname?"

"Just what people call me. My full name is Maurice Boscorelli."

Bosco flashed his killer smile, the one that could make about any woman drop to his feet, as he brought his hand out. She shook his hand, and smiled at him, nervously.

He had decided to pour the charm on extra thick, partly to get to his partner. He knew that it would bug her. Even as he was trying flirting with the young woman his gaze went to Faith for a moment.

Katri was still smiling nervously at him, when she let go of his hand.. "I know boys like you in Finland. Thinking they named Romeo. Saying oh, everyone calls me this but you say that you're special."

Bosco looked surprised. Most of the time that worked on foreign girls, and he'd have her eating out of the palm of his hand. But she seemed smart, or someone had warned her about him.

"You don't even know me, yet. What did Faith tell you about me?" he asked, trying to still be charming.

"You are her partner. I am not stupid girl, Bosco, I see many boys like you."

"Boys like me?"

"Yes, pretty boys who know they are beautiful, but bad. They get girls to think they special, so they can go to bed."

Bosco, smiled nervously, and glanced as his partner, hoping she would defend him. He knew that she knew that he was one of those guys, but some kind of backup would have been nice.

"But I go get supper out," Katri said, before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Rejected," Faith laughed.

"But, on the upside, you still have to feed me," he reminded his partner.

"You did hit on her."

"How do you know I didn't do that just to make you jealous?"

"Jealous of what?"

She wanted to act casual, but was fairly certain that her expression gave her away. She shook her head, and then went into the kitchen to eat supper with her kids.

XX

Kim was sitting at the table in the firehouse, pocking at the meal the was in front of her, not really eating.

"I'm not that bad of a cook am I?" Doc asked.

"No, no, it's not that," Kim assured him.

"Not hungry or are you pregnant again?" DK chuckled, looking at Kim's plate.

Bobby's jaw dropped, and all the conversation in the room stopped. All eyes were on Kim, with an occasional glance at Bobby.

"No!" Kim snapped. "I'm just not feeling well."

Jimmy started laughing. "That's what you said for weeks before you told me about Joey."

Kim shook her head. "It's not that kind of sick, Jimmy. It doesn't feel like with Joey, besides I'm not getting sick like with Joey. I probably just have a stomach flu or something."

"Yeah, um, right."

"So you're not pregnant?" Doc asked, concerned

"No, I'm not pregnant!"

Doc left the room, to go work on some paperwork.

"Jesus Christ, you find out I'm having sex and all of a sudden I have to get pregnant," Kim complained, annoyed.

"That's how it happened with Jimmy," Walsh reminded her.

Kim shook her head. "That's cause I believed Jimmy when he said, aw Baby, trust me and there won't be any problems." There was a roar of laughter.

"You believed him?"

"I don't who was stupider, really, him for saying it, or me for believing it."

"You're not funny, Kimmy," Jimmy said, shaking his head.

"I've learned my lesson, not that Bobby's that stupid anyway."

"Oh! Jimmy you gonna let her talk about you that way?" laughed Lombardo.

"You're awfully moody," Jimmy commented trying to push her buttons.

"I'm not feeling well! Fuck off!"

"Ouch, that hurts Kimmy."

"Don't call me that! If anything's got me in a bad mood it's the lack of estrogen around here! If you're all so sure that I'm pregnant pitch in and buy a damn test, and I'll prove to you I'm not."

"You'd take it?" DK asked.

"If it would shut you morons up, gladly."

"Kim," Bobby warned, breaking his silence.

"I know my own body."

"Then I'll go buy the test," Jimmy offered, smiling.

"Go right ahead."

Jimmy went out the door, to find the closest pharmacy. The rest of the guys were laughing, nervously. Bobby still looked stunned by the whole situation. While Kim didn't even seem care.

It wasn't long before the guys started to go in different directions. At least until Jimmy got back. Finally Bobby moved, to go to the bunks, and Kim followed him. He sat down, and she sat down next to him, and took his hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"What if you're wrong?" he queried.

"I'm not."

"If you are I don't want to find out I'm going to be a father while you're trying to prove to a bunch of idiots that they're wrong."

She nodded, then kissed him lightly. "Trust me."

He half smiled at her. "I do trust you, I just think it's not the best idea."

"All right, but I'm telling you if I even thought it was a remote possibility you'd be first to know."

He smiled and kissed her lightly. "Thank you."

She pulled him back toward her, into a deeper kiss. He reached around with one hand, and took her hair out of its ponytail, and began to run his fingers through it. She sighed into the kiss, she always liked it when he had his hands in her hair.

"God, get a room," Lombardo laughed, coming up the stairs.

"What do we need a room for, when we've already got the bed?" Bobby asked.

Lombardo high fived Bobby. "Good one!" He laughed.

Lombardo went on his way, leaving Bobby and Kim alone. She took his hand.

"Look, Bobby, I know I'm not pregnant," she told him.

"How?" he asked

"When I was sick this morning that's the first thing I thought. So I already took a test, it came back negative."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "I'm not pregnant, it's just a stomach bug or something. I didn't think I was, really either, I just wanted to make sure. I don't feel the same as when I was pregnant with Joey."

"What do you mean?"

"I know my body, and this isn't the same at all. It feels like the flu, a little, I don't know. My stomach's been cramping up a lot of late, and I don't know. I was sick this morning, and I just needed to eliminate being pregnant. But I never really thought it was that, it doesn't feel right for that."

"So you're sure it's not that you're pregnant?"

She nodded. "Positive, it's just a stomach bug I'm sure."

He kissed her temple. "All right. You know it'd be worth it to see Jimmy's face if you were."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You shouldn't be like that."

"I know, but he was never good for you."

"I don't need you to defend me, you know?"

"I know, but I like to."

She kissed him lightly. "All right."

"But, Kim, you have to promise me if you don't feel better soon, you'll see a doctor?"

"Yeah, I will."

He kissed her lightly again. "You're good to work today?"

"I'll be fine."

XX

At Faith's everyone was finishing up their meals.

"That was really good, Katri," Bosco told the young woman. "I need someone around who can cook like you."

Katri smiled. "It's not hard to learn."

Bosco shrugged. "Never really felt the need. I get by."

"Or you mooch," Faith laughed.

Faith helped Katri to clear the table. She knew she had to go though, so she then gave each of her kids a hug and kiss.

"I'll say goodnight when I come in," she told them. "Love you."

"Love you, Mom, bye," said Emily, she then gave Bosco a hug. "Later, Bosco."

"Yeah, love you Mom, come back soon, Bosco," Charlie told him.

"All right, I hope to see you two soon," Bosco told them, before leaving.

The two of them left the apartment, and went back to their car.

"Wow, she's hot and she can cook," Bosco laughed. "I feel like I missed out on something as a kid!"

Faith shook her head. "Who knew that you could have live in care givers who weren't little old ladies, right?"

He laughed. "Something like that. Don't worry, I'm just going to admire her, I don't think she likes me very much."

"What might have given you that idea?"

He shook his head. "I think it was someone that gave her the idea."

"I didn't say anything bad about you, Bos. She's smarter then the ones you like to go after."

"Not all of 'em are stupid, you know?"

"Name one."

"Name one what?"

"One who wasn't stupid?"

He grinned mischievously at her. "You."

She smacked him, half playfully. "I don't count."

"Why not?"

"I was hardly one of your little quests. I was upset and you charmed me."

He gave an odd look. "Quests? I wasn't trying to charm you, I actually really-"

"Five-five David," crackled the radio.

Faith quickly picked up the call needed the subject changed, as fast as possible. It was a domestic situation, and they were soon speeding to the scene.

The conversation had been dropped, and Bosco knew better then to bring it up again for a long while.

XX

Back the firehouse Jimmy had returned with the pregnancy test. Kim had already done what she had to do, it was just a matter of waiting for the result, which she already knew. Part of her hoped for an inconclusive reading, just to mess with the guys.

"So what'll you do if it's positive?" Jimmy asked Bobby.

"I'd be really happy to be a father," Bobby replied.

"I was not that calm when I found out about Joey."

"You're not me."

"All right, children," Kim said, laughing, "that's enough. I keep telling you I'm not pregnant, so it doesn't really matter does it?"

"If you're so sure about it, why are you taking the test?" Jimmy asked her.

"To shut you all up, and get you off my back."

"What if the joke's on you?" asked DK.

She shrugged. "I guess we'll see if that happens, won't we?" She looked at her watch. "If you'll excuse me."

She went into the bathroom, to see what the strip read. Sure enough it was negative, and just like that morning it proved she was not pregnant.

She was just about to leave the bathroom, when she suddenly got a stomach cramp. That had been happening a lot of late, she realized. She held her stomach, not that it would help, and shut her eyes, trying to hold back a scream, and tears.

The pain soon passed, and she suddenly felt sick, and threw up in the toilet. She flushed the toilet, and she did feel a little bitter. That was the other thing that made her know she wasn't pregnant, she always felt better after being sick.

Her stomach was still cramped, but she thought that had to do with the lack of food. She knew she should try to eat again, but she just didn't feel like it.

She took the testing strip out of the bathroom, and showed it to the guys who were now crowded around.

"You can breathe again, Bobby," Jimmy laughed. "You're not going to be a father."

Bobby shook his head. "I believed her the whole time," he said.

"You would, Prince Charming," laughed Lombardo.

"Kim, you're looking a little pale," Doc said, coming back down, having missed everything.

"I'm told you I'm not feeling well," she explained.

"She has the test to prove she's not pregnant," Walsh added.

"Are you feeling up to working?" Doc asked, ignoring the firefighter.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kim replied.

"Are you contagious?"

"If she were contagious loverboy over there would be sick too," laughed Lombardo.

"He make a good point. Maybe you should see a doctor see what the problem might be?"

"I will if this keeps up, but right now I'm sure it's nothing, nerves maybe, or something I ate," Kim assured Doc.

Kim knew had a point, if it was just a bug Bobby would have been sick. She didn't want to tell anyone that she had been feeling ill for the last month or so. She decided that if she didn't see any kind of improvement soon, she'd see her doctor.

She didn't think that there was anything seriously wrong with her, but she figured that if it lasted any longer she should get some kind of treatment.

She also knew that in her line of work she should know better then to let anything go, and to just bite the bullet and see a doctor. The worst they could say is that you just have to live with the pain.

She went to the fridge to get a bottle of water, and started drinking it. She took a huge gulp, and all of sudden a wave of nausea came over her, again. She ran to the bathroom.

"She sure is acting pregnant," Jimmy said.

"You saw the results of that test too," Bobby reminded him.

"They're wrong sometimes," Doc reminded them.

"Twice in the same day?"

"What?" asked Doc.

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, she told me before she did one this morning."

"How did you miss that, bro?" asked Walsh.

"I don't know! All I know is she's hardly been eating, and been getting sick more and more often," Bobby commented.

"Talk to her about it."

Jimmy laughed. "Yeah, right, I'd be surprised if Prince Charming here could get anything outta her."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, when I try to talk to her, she just tells me it's something she ate."

"Like she thinks you don't know what she's had to eat?"

"Yeah, I just hope it's not something too serious."

"Try the Joey card, it usually works. If not it's just a matter of letting her come to her senses." Jimmy suggested.

"I know. You'd notice this, have you noticed that she's been losing weight?"

"I'd have to see her naked." He laughed, trying to piss Bobby off..

"I'm serious."

Jimmy looked at the floor. "Yeah, I've noticed that she's skinny even for Kimmy."

Bobby's eyes dropped. "I just wish I could make her go to the doctor and see what's wrong with her."

"Try not to worry so much," Doc tried to assure them. "I'm sure it's just stress, it can do really strange things to a person. If it's not that, it's probably something minor, and she'll be back to herself within a few days."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right, Doc"

"Right about what?" Kim asked appearing behind them, startling them.

"That you're probably just stressed out, and that's why your stomach's upset," Doc lied.

She nodded. "I never thought of that, thank you Doc."

"But, if you think it could be something else, go see a real doc."

Kim laughed. "I will, but I don't think it's much to worry about."

"I really hope you're right."

Just then the fire bell went off. Everyone started going to where they had to go to respond to the call.

tbc...

end notes: so what's wrong with kim? stayed tuned to find out (i really hope i don't over do it), oh the drama and angst you'll love, and what about faith and bosco? hmm stayed tuned to find out!


	15. 15

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue   
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: and the drama starts, oh my yes it does, just stay tuned to find out where it all goes, i really hope you dig where this is going, cause it's not what i thought i'd do but i think it works, read to find out what i'm taliing about, review for updates ;) 

Bobby was starting to get used to waking as Kim flew out bed to the bathroom. She had done this four mornings in a row now. He knew that she was being sick, and he felt horrible for her.

He got up, and stood outside the bathroom. He heard the toilet flush, then the water running. Moments later she came out. He hugged her.

"Kim, I'm really worried about you," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she whispered.

"Maybe you're-"

"Bobby I've taken three different tests, they all say I'm not. Besides if I was pregnant I'd be gaining a bit of weight, not losing it."

"Then why don't you see a doctor?"

"It's probably just a stomach flu."

"I'd be sick too if it was just a flu."

"Not necessarily, you could have a strong immune system." She teased.

"And Joey too?"

She shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing, I just need to get some rest today."

"I really think it's more then that. Your body is trying to tell you something, it would make me feel a lot better if you would just see a doctor."

She hugged him, close. "I'll be fine, I don't need to see a doctor."

"Kim, please."

Joey came out of his room, and gasped when he saw his mother.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I think I have the flu, why?"

"You're really white. I think you need to go to the doctor."

"I'm fine, Joey," she tried to assure him.

"Nu-uh, if I looked that sick you'd make me go see the doctor."

"I'm fine, I don't think I need to go to the doctor.

"Bobby make Mommy go to the doctor!" Joey demanded, almost whining.

Kim had never seen Joey act like that before, and she didn't like to see him like that. He seemed very insistent about her seeing a doctor.

She hadn't wanted to admit it before, but there was something really wrong with her. The way Joey had reacted to her, proved to her that it could be something more then what she wanted to believe.

Also, that morning she had noticed some blood in her vomit. She assumed it was because she had been sick so often. But now she thought it could something more. She didn't want to tell Bobby about it, though.

Now with everything, her being pale, the blood in the vomit, the stomach cramping, she realized that there could be something seriously wrong with her.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to see a doctor, but she just didn't really want to. She didn't want to worry her son, and the sooner she saw a doctor the sooner she could tell him, honestly, that she'd be just fine.

"All right, all right, I'll go see a doctor.," she told her son. "Will that make you feel better?"

"Yes," said Joey, before going into the bathroom.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Bobby offered.

"I'm a big girl I think I can handle a simple doctor's appointment."

"What if it's something serious?"

She shook her head. "You worry too much."

XX

At Faith's she was trying to get the kids up. She hated weekday mornings. While Faith knew that she could ask Katri to do it, she knew that this was some of the only one on one time she had with her kids, and she didn't want to lose that.

"Emily!" Faith yelled, getting annoyed. "Get up!"

"I'm up," grumbled, groggily.

"You're not up! You're down! Get up!"

Emily grudgingly rolled out of her bed. Her hair was a giant poof ball, and she looked annoyed. Faith left the room, to continue making breakfast for them.

She had decided to make them French toast that morning. Charlie was already sat down, and had started his breakfast.

Emily came out of her room, dressed with her hair still unbrushed a few minutes later. She sat down across from her brother, and soon found a plate of food in front of her, as well as a glass of milk.

"Milk?" Emily asked.

Faith rolled her eyes. "Since when do you not drink milk?"

"I just don't want it today."

"And I'm supposed to know you're having an I don't like milk day?"

Emily shrugged. "Can I please have juice instead?"

"I'll take the milk!" Charlie exclaimed.

"All right, whatever," Faith said.

Charlie gulped down the milk then left the table. Faith had noticed that her daughter had not been herself of late.

"Hey, Em, what's wrong?" Faith asked.

"School," she muttered.

"What about school?"

"My new teacher, and everyone in my class."

"What are they doing?"

"They won't stop asking me if I'm okay about Dad leaving. I mean I was fine last year, and all summer why would I not be fine now?"

Faith shrugged. "This has to be so hard for you."

Emily nodded. "I like everything right now, Mom. Yeah, there's times when I miss Dad, but things are good now. You're so happy, and Katri's really fun."

"Then tell them that."

"I do, and they don't believe me." Emily shrugged. "It's like it's a problem that I'm not sad anymore. I couldn't be sad forever right?"

"No, of course not."

"So why are they making me feel like a giant butthead cause I'm happy again?"

Faith shrugged. "I don't know, Sweetie, I wish I did."

Emily nodded. "Maybe I'll talk to Lyn next time we go."

"I think that's a good idea.

Lyn was Emily's therapist, who they still saw every two weeks, just to be sure that everything was still going all right.

The two kids were making amazing progress, and Faith was happy to hear it. She was glad that her kids were back to being themselves. She just didn't like the idea of people telling her that she couldn't do so.

It had been too long since she was last able to just have coffee with Kim, and she really wanted to talk to her friend. She decided she'd call her after she got the kids off to school.

All too soon the kids had to make their way to school. It was a reasonably warm day, and Faith was already dreading winter coming.

Although Emily insisted they were old enough to walk to school alone, together, Faith still made sure that someone always walk with them. She had seen too much in her line of work to just let them go by themselves.

She knew she would have to let go eventually, but she wanted to hold out at as long as possible. Faith had however agreed to let them walk the last block alone so that their friends would not see that they were still being walked to school by their paranoid cop mother.

When Faith got back home she called Kim, and was surprised when she didn't get an answer. Faith decided she might try going to work a little early in hopes that Kim would be there early too.

Soon she decide that she needed to have a nap. She did this most mornings before she had to work. She went into her room, curled up on her bed, and was asleep within moments.

xxxx

Kim sat in the doctor's office, hating that she had decided to go alone. She knew that it was nothing, and there was no point in Bobby taking a day off too. She picked up a magazine, and started to read it.

"Kim," she heard her name being called.

She put the magazine down, and followed the young woman who lead her to a room. She sat down, and waited for her doctor. She was nervous, but knew that she'd be just fine.

Kim was glad to see her doctor, Doctor White, walk into the room.

"How are you today?" he asked.

Kim nodded. "I guess I could be better."

"All right, what seems to be the problem today?"

"I've been having stomach cramps, and been sick to my stomach a lot of late."

"So you'd like a pregnancy test?"

Kim shook her head. "Here's the problem, I've taken three home tests, and all of them have been a very clear negative. I don't feel like I did when I was pregnant with my son either."

"Oh, all right, what do you think the problem is?"

"I have no idea. I'm sure it's just stress, or something."

"All right, what are you stressing about?"

Kim thought for a moment, and realized there was nothing really to be stressing out about. She was happier then she had been in a long time, everything seemed to be going right of late.

Work was not any worse then usual. Jimmy was taking her relationship with Bobby almost too well. Since Bobby had moved in and everything seemed to prefect. She wasn't actually stressed about anything.

"Now that I'm thinking about it, I can't think of anything really stressful going on," Kim explained.

He nodded. "So how long have you been feeling like this?"

"The stomach cramps started about a month ago, I guess. The vomiting about two weeks, ago now, and has been getting worse and worse."

"All right, how have you been eating?"

"I can't keep anything down, I've tried cutting out certain things but nothing helps Water sometimes makes me sick."

The doctor nodded. "Any other symptoms?"

"Not really, but this morning there was some blood when I was sick."

"All right, well this could be serious, I'm sure it's just nerves or something, though."

Kim nodded. "All right."

"I'm going to have you do one more pregnancy test here, just to be absolutely certain it's not that, and then I'm going to get you in for an x-ray of your stomach."

Kim nodded. "That sounds good."

"So you'll be stuck her for a little while, but I'd rather just get to the bottom of this. I'll get one of my assistants to help you."

Kim nodded. "Thank you."

XX

Faith got to work early, and sure enough she saw Bobby's SUV, and assumed that Kim was around too. She went into the firehouse, and was surprised to only see Bobby.

"Hey, Bobby," Faith called. "Where's Kim?"

"She's at the doctor's," he told her.

"Oh."

"She didn't tell you she hasn't been feeling well lately?"

"Not really, she mentioned a while ago that she was having stomach cramps, but I assumed they went away. We haven't really had much of a chance to sit down and just talk lately."

"Oh, well the cramps are stilling bugging her, so she decided to go to the doctor today."

She nodded. "Does she think she's pregnant?"

"She did until three different tests told her she wasn't."

"That's really strange. That would have been my first thought."

"You and everyone else's." Bobby laughed. "But no, that's not it. She not pregnant."

"What do you think it could be?"

Bobby shrugged. "I have no idea, I just hope it's nothing too serious."

"Yeah, I hope so too."

"So she hasn't told you anything about what might be wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you that she has, but she hasn't."

"I'm so worried about her, I just wish I knew what was going on."

"Why didn't you go with her?" Faith was a little puzzled.

"She didn't want me to go with her. You know her she's so stubborn"

Faith nodded. "I'm sure it'll end up being nothing."

Bobby smiled. "I'm sure it will be too. Was there anything you wanted me to tell her when I get home tonight?"

"Just tell her I'll call her when I'm off shift."

"All right, I will. See you later Faith."

"Yeah," she said, leaving.

Faith hoped that there was nothing wrong with her friend. It had been a while since they had had time get together for coffee, and she hoped that when she called that night she wasn't going to get bad news.

XX

Back at the doctor's office Kim was nervously waiting her x-ray results. She already knew what the pregnancy test would read. She knew she was not pregnant, and worried about what could possibly be wrong with her.

She wanted to believe that it was nothing too serious, but the medical training she had told her that that wasn't the case. She wanted to ignore it, and hope it would go away, but she knew that was not the answer.

She was worried, and she could not make the feeling that it was something really major go away.

Everything had been working out so well of late, that she knew that something would have to ruin it soon. It was just the way her life had always worked. She'd get something good, and suddenly something would go wrong.

She didn't want this to be one of those times. She wanted everything to keep going well, but there had to be something seriously wrong with her. Soon she was called back into the exam room.

Suddenly she wanted Bobby to be there to tell her that it was going to be all right. She knew logically it would, but she just wanted him there. She had a feeling she was going to be bad news, and she wanted him close.

The doctor came in a moment later, and Kim waited to hear what he had to say.

"So, as we suspected the pregnancy test is negative," said the doctor.

"I know that, so what's wrong with me?"

"From the x-rays I just took of your stomach, I can defiantly see something. I have forwarded them along to a colleague of mine, who I want you to make an appointment with as soon as possible."

Kim nodded. "What kind of colleague?"

"An oncologist."

She went pale. "I'm sorry, did you just say an oncologist?"

"Yes, I'm not sure that it is a tumor, but I'd rather eliminate that possibility first."

"Wouldn't you want to eliminate everything else, and then go to the extreme possibilities?'

"Normally, yes, but if it is a cancerous tumor I would rather treat it immediately. Stomach cancer is one of the hardest to treat, because as soon as it goes past the stomach there is about a ten percent chance of recovery."

"Are you telling me that I'm going to die?"

"No, if it is cancer from the size of what I saw in your x-rays it would be safe to assume you are at an early stage, and the odds for survival are much higher. I would rather illuminate the possibility of stomach cancer first, so I do not regret not doing it sooner."

Kim nodded. "So what kind of procedure am I going to need tomorrow?"

"It's going to be an endoscopy, where the-"

"I know what an endoscopy is," Kim assured the doctor.

Just thought of having to have to swallow a tube disgusted her. She wanted to call Bobby right away, and tell him. But then she realized that she might just end up worrying him for nothing. She didn't want him to think that she might have cancer if she really didn't.

"Do I need someone there with me?" Kim asked.

"It's recommended but not necessary. You will most likely be sedated, so they prefer that you have someone to at least pick you up."

Kim nodded. "All right."

"Of course when you make the appointment they'll be able to give your more information, and answer all your questions."

Kim nodded. "All right."

"I'm sorry I had such bad news for you," said the doctor, shaking her hand. "Talk to my receptionist on the way out, and she'll help you set up an appointment as soon as possible."

"All right, thank you."

xxxx

Kim was laying in bed staring at the ceiling when Bobby got home from work. Joey had long since gone to bed. She hadn't told him what was going on, and hoped that she would have good news for him after the appointment the next day.

He had been perfectly content that she had actually gone to the doctor, and she was going to go to another one who should be able to make her better the next day.

Bobby came into the bedroom, and kissed Kim lightly, on the lips. She pulled away and smiled at him. He laid down next to her, and ran his hand through her hair.

"What did the doctor say?" Bobby asked her.

"He wants me to go see a specialist tomorrow," she replied. "He doesn't think it's really to worry about, he wants a second opinion."

"Oh, all right, did he give you any indication as to what it might be?"

Kim shook her head. "No, not really, he said that the doctor tomorrow should have more answers for me."

"All right, and the tests were right?"

Kim laughed. "I'm not pregnant."

She suddenly wished it was that simple. She didn't want to tell him that the specialist was actually an oncologist. She didn't want him to worry if he didn't have to. Her doctor had said it was probably not that, and she wanted to believe it.

"Faith said she'd call you tonight when she got off shift," Bobby told her.

"Oh, did she say about what?" Kim asked.

"No, she just said that you haven't really been talking of late, and she was hoping that you'd be there to have coffee with."

Kim smiled. "Yeah, I could use some good girl talk right about now."

"I'm going to go make myself a before bed snack, you want something?"

"No, I'm good, I managed to keep supper down, and I want to keep it that way."

He kissed her on the forehead, and left the room.

A few minutes later the phone rang. Kim picked up the phone.

"Hi?" said Kim.

"Hey," said Faith. "How was the doctor today?"

"Not too bad, he wants me to see another one tomorrow."

"So what's wrong with you?"

"Don't know yet, the doctor tomorrow is a specialist, and should have more answers. So how are you?"

Faith realized that Kim didn't really want to talk about that. "I'm pretty good. I've been meaning to call you since Bosco met Katri."

"Yeah, it's been kind of crazy around here the last few days."Kim laughed. "Did you need a mop to sop up the drool?"

"Not quiet, I was surprised. He tried to hit on her, but she wanted nothing to do with him."

"Good for her!"

"Thanks, Kim you're supposed to be my friend."

Kim laughed. "Sorry, you know what I mean. You know how to handle Bosco, unlike most of his unsuspecting prey."

Faith began laughing. "That's very true."

"So what's going on with you two?"

"The same as what was going on before," Faith laughed nervously.

"I don't know, I swear I heard you smile when you mentioned him."

"Heard me smile?"

"You know what I mean! Like the way my voice changes when I speak about Bobby."

"Yeah, right!"

"And now I bet you're blushing!"

"I am not!" Faith lied.

"All right, fine you don't have a thing for your partner, are you happy now?"

"Even if I did, like him like that, I'm still not ready for anything serious after Fred."

"I thought you said Bosco didn't know how to have a serious relationship?"

Faith laughed, nervously. "I didn't think he did until he started saying stuff the other day."

"What kind of stuff?"

"He was telling me about the kind of woman he would settle down with, and I felt like he was describing me."

"Someone's full over herself."

"Hear me out. He said he wanted a couple of kids one day. He said he'd want to settle down with a redhead with a nice smile, who's fit and has a nice rack."

Kim laughed. "You've been around him way too much. But, yeah that could be you."

"And he knows that I think my smile is one of my best features."

"Would it be so bad to settle down with him?"

Faith laughed. "I don't know, it just took me off my guard you know?"

"Yeah."

"I mean this is Bosco, my partner. Besides, I'm nowhere near the point of wanting to settle down again."

"Then if he asks you point blank, tell him so."

"Yeah, I know, I will."

Kim yawned. "I hate to cut this short, but I'm really tired all of a sudden."

"That's fine, I should be getting some sleep soon too. But call me tomorrow with the news, weather it's good or bad, all right?"

"I promise I will."

"Good night then."

"Good night."

Kim hung up the phone, and then curled up in bed, and fell asleep almost immediately.

tbc.  
end notes: an oncologist? what's gonna happen? stay tuned to find out, big thanx to twbasketcase for her input! this one's for you!


	16. 16

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: now the drama goes into high gear, read and you'll see, i did a lot of research on the subject, and i feel that my info is fairly accurate, thank goodness for google i say! well read on and to find out what's going on with kim 

Kim felt horrible for not telling Bobby that the specialist she was seeing was an oncologist. Even though she knew that it may be nothing, she felt guilty not being honest with him.

She just hadn't wanted to worry him if it turned out to be nothing. As soon as the procedure had started, she regretted not asking him to go with her.

It wasn't like she hadn't known the procedure she was going to have. But as soon as she saw the tube that was being used, she wanted Bobby there to hold her hand, and reassure her that it would be all right.

She felt like she was a child again, and for a moment she even thought she wanted her mother. The whole thing scared her to death, and she regretted keeping the whole thing a secret.

After the exam, it felt like she was in there for many hours, waiting for the results and diagnoses. She wanted Bobby next o her so much, she was terrified, she knew that his taking so long could only be bad news.

When the doctor came back into the room Kim was already on the verge of tears. She regretted not telling anyone the truth so much, now.

"Miss Zambrano, there's no easy way to put this," the doctor said. "You do have a malignant tumor, it's defiantly stomach cancer.".

Kim went pale. "So what happens next?"

"Since you have a fairly small tumor in your stomach, I think we may have caught it in its early stages, but I won't know for sure until I get a few more test results back."

"All right. What kind of procedure do I need?"

"Stomach cancer is treated with surgery rather then chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, unlike most cancers. Since we have found that chemotherapy does not generally work. It's a pretty major operation of course, since we have to remove a part of your stomach."

"Remove a part of my stomach?"

"Yes, we remove the part that's infected by the tumor, and any surrounding lymph nodes which may be infected at the same time. Then we reattach the stomach to the small intestine. You're actually very lucky, you only need part of your stomach removed, some patients need their entire stomachs removed."

"All right." Kim went even more pale just thinking about it.

"The side effects to the surgery are very similar to a gastric bypass surgery. You will have to reduce your portion sizes, and if you eat too much or the wrong foods you will get sick. In your case, since you are already a very good body weight you will probably have to go a higher calorie diet to keep up your strength, and weight."

Kim nodded. "What's the success rate of this procedure?"

"It has about a sixty five percent five year survival rate, in the early stages, as I think you're in. If the cancer has spread past your stomach, there is generally only a ten percent five year survival rate."

Kim let some tears escape, whispering. "I don't like those odds, Doctor."

"Without it you will be dead within a year."

The then tears began to come like a river Kim was terrified, she didn't want to have a part of her stomach removed, even it would make her better

She needed Bobby, and wished she hadn't kept this from him. How was she going to tell him that she had cancer?

"I can't discuss everything right now, I need to talk to my, um, fiancé," Kim whispered.

"That's fine, I'd like to see you back this afternoon, if possible."

"Does it need to go so quickly?"

"Yes, the sooner we get the process started the better the prognosis."

She nodded. "All right, I'll see you later then," she said, shaking his hand.

"Just tell my secretary that you'll be taking my two o'clock cancellation."

Kim nodded again, then left the exam room. She told the secretary, left the building, then called Bobby.

"Hello?" said Bobby.

"I need you to call in sick, too," she told him.

"All right, I'm at the coffee shop where you asked me to meet you right now."

"All right, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Kim are you okay?"

"No," she replied, matter of facltly, before hanging up the phone

Kim walked over to the coffee which was only a few blocks away, there were only a few other people there. She noticed him sitting by the window. He stood up upon seeing him, and she walked over to him.

"Bobby," she whispered, as she approached him.

She wrapped her arms around him, and began to cry. He brought her close, and hugged her. Every time he hugged her he realized just how much weight she had lost. He simply held her until her tears subsided.

He knew that she had gotten bad news, and he wanted to know how bad it was. As he held her he ran his hand through her hair. She was even shaking a little bit, he noticed, but as soon as he touched her she seemed to have stopped.

Kim was just glad to be in his arms. Somehow just having him there holding her made it a little bit better. She felt so loved in his arms, and she knew that his being there would make everything seem so much better.

"Kim, what's wrong?" he asked, when she finally seemed to have stopped crying.

"I- I-" she stammered. "Bobby, I have stomach cancer!" She began to sob again.

He held her closer, wanting to help, but knowing all he could do was be by her side. She had her head buried in his chest, and she was glad he was there. She was also glad he was not mad at her for not telling him how serious it could have been.

She knew logically that he probably wouldn't be mad for not telling him the whole truth, and she was very relived that she had been right. She knew that everything would seem far worse if he wasn't there supporting her.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her hair. "Promise me you'll fight for me."

"I love you, too. I promise. I have to go back at two, and I need you to be there. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I needed you then too, but I didn't want you to worry. I'm so sorry Bobby, I should have been completely honest with you from the start."

"Shh, shh, don't apologize, all right?" he kissed her forehead. "I'll be there every step of the way. Oh Kim, it's okay, I don't care, that you didn't tell me before. It's nice that you didn't want me to worry, but I could have handled it. I'm just glad that I know now."

"I'm so scared, Bobby. I wanted you to be there I just didn't want you to worry."

"I'm here now, so just worry about getting yourself better."

"Yeah." She seemed to calm down for a moment. "Oh my god! What am I supposed to tell Joey? How am I supposed to help him with this?"

"I'll do that, if you want me to, you'll have enough to worry about. We'll get through this"

She looked at him, unsure. "Bobby, do you really love me this much?"

"Of course, and more."

"If I make it through this, I want to marry you."

He nodded. "When you make it through this we'll have the wedding of your dreams Kim."

"I'd like that."

"I guess I'll have to buy you a ring now."

"Bobby, I'm so scared, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, but you need me to be strong, and I can do that for you. How bad is it?"

"He thinks it's in the early stages, but he can't be sure until he gets some tests back."

"That's good, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. It's better, anyway. I'm so scared."

"I know you are. So what kind of procedure do you need?"

"Surgery, they have to take the part that's infected," she whispered.

"All right. So there's not going to be any chemotherapy then?"

"The doctor said no."

He ran his hands through hair. "I'd miss doing this too much if you had to have chemotherapy."

She smiled, weakly. "So would I. I feel so much better when you do that."

He smiled at her. "Then I won't stop unless you ask me to."

She took a deep breath, wanting to stay in his arms. "I guess I have to tell everyone at work that I'm not going to be around for a while."

"I'll do that too, if you want."

"Thank you, but I think I need to tell them myself. Oh god, what do I tell Jimmy?"

He brushed her hair with his hand. "The same thing you just told me."

"He's gonna want to help me through this too."

"I know, and I guess I have to be fine with that. But he's going to have to deal with my being there as well."

She looked at him, in his eyes, to see if he was just humouring her. She melted when she saw only love for her. There were times where she still couldn't believe that his eyes were firmly planted on her, and had no desire to look away.

"Oh, Bobby," she whispered. "Poor Joey, I mean what's the point of having to fathers when he might not even have mother?"

"Don't say that! You're gonna make it through this, and you're gonna be stronger then ever because of it."

"How can you be so positive?"

"I have to be."

She kissed him lightly. "Bobby, you can be scared too."

"No, Kim, I need to be strong for you." He kissed her forehead. "I love you so much, I'm not going to let you go."

She started to cry a little again. "I have to tell my mother, and Faith, and-"

"Shh," Bobby whispered, running his hand through her hair, and placing it behind her ear. "We'll do all that later, once we go back and see the doctor, and we have every little bit of information we need."

"Everything was going so good, and now, this. Bobby, if I don't have this surgery I'm going to die. And if I do have it I could die anyway."

"Don't think like that, Kim."

"I can't! I'm terrified Bobby, I just found you, and now I might have to let you go."

"I'm not letting you go anywhere. I'll get my whole church to pray for you."

She sniffled. "Bobby-"

He put his fingers on her lips to silence her. "No more negativity, Kim. Just keep positive, and you'll be fine."

"I'll try."

"Good."

"Can we go for a walk before I have to go to the other appointment?"

"All right."

He took her hand in his, and they left the coffee shop. Both of them were terrified about what the future might hold for her. He was trying to be strong on the outside, but inside he was falling apart.

He knew that he would not be able to live without the woman who stood next to him. The woman who had finally let him into her heart, even though she thought it might never work. The woman he loved more then anything else on this earth.

Now he was being tested, he had finally found her, and now he might get her taken away from him. It hardly seemed fair. He was going to have a long talk with God and his pastor about everything.

He knew that he'd have to draw his strength from his faith. He knew that he could not ask her for help when she needed his so much. He knew that with help he could be strong enough to support her.

For so long he had looked to her for strength. Now she needed him to be strong for her. He just hoped that he'd be able to do it.

Kim glanced at the man standing next to her, and was glad that he was still holding her hand, and she hoped that he would continue to do so throughout the whole ordeal.

She knew he had promised to marry her if she got through this, but part of her was scared that he'd leave her just like Jimmy had. She knew he was nothing like her ex husband, but she had nothing else to base it on.

She had so many people that she had to tell, and she didn't know how she was going to tell them. She was just glad that she had the option of having Bobby's strong hand in hers as she told everyone she had to.

xxxx

Kim and Bobby had decided to go to Kim's mother's after the doctor's appointment. She knew that she had to tell her mother what was going on, but she was dreading it. It was not the kind of thing that you could really prepare yourself for.

How do you tell your mother that you could die of cancer? Kim knocked on the door, and her mother let them both. They all went into the living room and sat down.

Kim and Bobby sat on the couch, and Bobby had his arm around her. While Catherine sat on an armchair across from them. No one knew what to say.

"I'm going to assume that you have some kind of news for me?" Catherine asked.

Kim nodded. "Yeah," she replied.

"Is it good news?"

"I wish it was, Mom."

Catherine's eyed dropped. "Can you just tell me?"

"Mom, I have cancer," Kim told her mother, barely above a whisper.

"Cancer?"

Kim began to cry, and Bobby took over. "Stomach cancer. She's going to need surgery."

"What kind of surgery?" Kim's mother asked him.

"They need to remove the part of the stomach that's infected."

Catherine went pale. "Remove a part of her stomach?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, it's at the early stages."

"What does that mean?"

"A higher survival rate."

"How high?"

"Sixty five percent," Bobby answered.

Catherine went pale, and she too, began to sob. Kim went over and hugged her mother. Kim was soon crying again too. Bobby watched helplessly wishing he could do something to help them. He knew there wasn't anything, and that they needed each other, and some space.

"Mom, it's gonna be all right," Kim whispered, reassuringly.

Catherine looked up, and smiled weakly at her daughter. "How can you say that?"

"I have to believe that it's going to be fine."

She nodded. "Are you scared?"

"Terrified, but I have to try and keep positive at the very least. I know it's a major surgery, and it'll change my life, but I have to believe that I'm going to be better after it's all said and done."

"Yeah, so what are the odds like if they don't catch it soon enough?"

"As low as ten percent."

"Oh dear god. What are you going to tell Joey?"

"I have no idea, I don't even want to think about that right now."

Catherine nodded. "Who else knows?"

"Just us, the doctor, and now you."

"When are you going to tell everyone at work?"

Kim shrugged. "I guess I have to do it pretty soon, cause I'll be leaving to have surgery in about a month."

"That soon?"

"Yeah, they want to get it done as fast as possible to make sure that it doesn't spread."

"That makes sense then."

Kim had gone back to sit next to Bobby again. He had taken her hand in his, and she automatically felt more relaxed. Kim was glad that she had him supporting her like that.

Catherine was also glad to see Bobby by her daughter's side. She knew that she was facing a very tough battle, and she was so happy that she finally had a good man by her side to help her fight.

"I'm glad you told me first," Catherine said.

Kim nodded. "I thought you should know before anyone else, you are my mother."

"Are you going to tell your sister?"

"I don't Mom, can we not bring that up?"

Catherine nodded. She was a little disappointed that her daughters might not even be able to make up under the grim circumstances. She understood that what Melanie had done was horrible, but you're supposed to be able to turn to your family in times of crisis.

Catherine knew that her daughter had somehow forgiven Jimmy. Although Kim would insist that it was all for Joey's sake. She knew there was something more there.

She just wished that Kim could see past the end of her nose, and find it in her heart to forgive her sister. Blood was supposed to be thicker then water, and this was one of those situations that you need your family.

"Have you thought about how you might explain to Joey so he might understand?" Catherine asked.

Kim shrugged. "I don't know how I can make him understand any of it. If I tell him that I'm sick, then he's going to think he can get sick too, and he can't."

"Yeah," Catherine agreed.

"Not to mention he's now at a higher risk of getting cancer when he's a little older."

"Leave that part out until he's older."

Kim nodded. "What if I'm not there?"

Bobby squeezed Kim's hand. "You'll be there, Kim."

She looked up at him. "Bobby."

"I just don't want you to keep saying it. I know the truth, but I don't want to keep hearing it."

Kim nodded. "All right."

"And I'm not sure that it's the best idea to tell Joey that you could die."

"I have to agree with Bobby on that," Catherine said. "I think that that'll scare him a lot more."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right. He's only five, how am I supposed to explain this to him?"

"You'll find the words."

"Mom, why does everything have to go wrong for me. I finally get something really good, and now I may get it all taken away from me."

"It's just a test, Kim, I'm sure you'll pass."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Cause you're so strong Kim. You can make it through this if you believe you can."

Kim was crying again. "It's hard to think positively when your whole world is falling apart around you. Even if I do make it through the surgery, there's still five years where I'm at a high risk for going out of remission. Five years, that's a long time for things to change."

Catherine nodded. "But that doesn't mean you need to put your life on hold for that time. Or even this time until your surgery."

"But this is going to change everything. I need to take half a year off of work. After I have the surgery I have to completely change my eating habits. There's no part of my life that isn't going to change."

"I know that, but what are the good things that might happen when you're getting better?"

Kim smiled, weakly. "I guess one of the good things that'll happen is that I'll always be pretty skinny."

"That's every woman's dream."

"Yeah."

"And as soon as you're up to it, I'm going to give you the wedding of your dreams," Bobby reminded her.

Kim couldn't help but smile. "I hope you're not just doing that cause I got sick, though."

Bobby shrugged. "It just sped up the whole process, see another positive."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, but I still would have figured out that I wanted you around forever without getting sick."

"You two are engaged?" Catherine asked.

Bobby nodded. "Just a matter of buying a ring."

"And here I thought I was only getting bad news today. I'll actually have a son in law who has a clue."

Bobby couldn't help but laugh. "There's always positives."

"Though I guess I'm still going to have to deal with Jimmy too, right?"

Kim nodded. "I don't think he'd just not going be there for me through this. We've been through a lot together."

"Yeah, but you have to remember to keep him in his place."

Kim nodded. "I know, I'm learning that now. Bobby's helped of course."

"Yeah, I'm so happy about the two of you."

Kim smiled. "I hate to cut this short, Mom, but we should go by the house, and tell Doc, and Lieu and see what they want to do about this."

"All right, that's a good idea. Kim, tell Jimmy in private, don't tell him when the rest of the squad is there, all right?"

"Thank you for the advise, Mom. I'll call you later?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"All right." She hugged her mother. "I love you Mom."

Catherine began to cry again, a little, it had been so long since she had heard her daughter say that. "I love you too, Kim."

Catherine also gave Bobby a hug, before they left. They then left the small house, and started toward work, even though they had called in sick. They knew that it was because of person stuff, and they probably would want to hear what they were going there to say.

Catherine watched helplessly as they left. She wished that she could do something for her daughter, but she knew there was nothing that could be done. She was just glad that she had Bobby by her side keeping her strong.

She wanted to keep positive, thinking that she would see her daughter marry the man of her dreams once she was better. At the same time she was terrified that something wouldn't go right, and something would happen to her.

Catherine knew that she didn't want to out live her daughter, she had so much to live for. She just hoped that she could find a source of the strength to draw from just like her daughter had. She knew she'd need it, she had to be strong for her daughter.

tbc...

end notes: so the bomb's been dropped! gasp i told you angst and drama would be coming, i did a lot of resarch on this, and feel that the medical stuff is fairly accurate, also a lot of the stats and info is going to be repeated as kim tells more people what's going on, i'm trying to switch things up, but there's only a few ways to tell stats, anywho i hope are still liking this!


	17. 17

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: oh dear me the drama, kim has to tell so many people, i feel like this is getting redudant, i'll start throwing in some more faith stuff from here on it i promise! hoping you're still liking this fic... wow it was never supposed to be this long and involved :S

Doc and Lieutenant Johnson seemed surprised when they saw Kim and Bobby come into the house. They had known that Kim had had a doctor's appointment, and wondered what it was about. They both somewhat assumed that Kim might be there to tell them she was pregnant again.

"Doc, Lieu, I need to talk to you both," said Kim.

"All right," Doc replied.

"Privately, please."

They both nodded, and went to the lieutenant's office. Although Doc was in charge of the medic side, Lieu was still involved with the personnel stuff on both sides. Kim had learned that when she had had to tell them about being pregnant.

When they all got into the office, Lieu closed the door behind them. Kim was feeling more and more nervous. She wished that her news was that she was pregnant again, cause that would be so much easier to do again.

"So what's the problem?" Lieutenant Johnson asked.

Kim took a deep breath. "I need to go in for surgery," Kim explained.

"All right, good when exactly?"

"In about a month, my oncologist still has to see when he can get an operating room."

"Oncologist?" asked Doc.

Kim nodded. "Yeah, oncologist. I, uh, I have stomach cancer."

"Oh," both men said at the same time.

Kim nodded. "He says it's my choice if I wanna work until the surgery date. If you need me, I'm up to it."

Doc looked at her. "I'd rather you just work on getting yourself better, we'll find a replacement."

Lieutenant Johnson agreed. "You're off the schedule until you want back on."

Kim smiled, weakly. "I'll want back on, if I get better."

"What's the success rate of the procedure?" Doc asked.

"Sixty five percent," Kim replied starting to get used to saying what she had to.

"Wow, what kind of procedure is it?"

"I'm getting a part of my stomach removed, actually."

"Really?" asked Lieu.

"Yeah, go figure some women do similar things just to get skinny."

He laughed nervously. "I think you're skinny enough already."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, me too. But when it's all over with I get to be on a high calorie diet, and don't have to worry too much about my waist line."

"It's good that you're finding the positive in this," Doc said.

"I'm really trying."

"What kind of recovery time are we looking at here?" Lieu asked, trying to keep up with her positive beat.

"Probably about six months, to make sure that everything is fully healed," Kim replied.

"So seven months, that's a long time."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, but I'm sure I'll get back into the swing of things."

"I'm sure I will too."

Kim was glad that everyone seemed to be keeping positive about the whole situation, it actually made it easier to tell them what was going on.

"Have you told Doherty yet?" Lieu asked.

"No, not yet."

"If you'd like to tell him right away you can use the office."

"Thank you so much, I'd like that."

He nodded. "I'll go get him."

Lieu and Doc left the office. Kim looked at Bobby.

"I'd like to tell him by myself, please?" Kim told him.

"All right," he agreed.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

That actually made him feel a lot better about her talking to Jimmy alone. He kissed her on the cheek, and joined the rest of the guys outside, who were trying to figure out what was going on.

Jimmy entered the office, and closed the door behind him, figuring it was something big. Kim smiled at him nervously, and he smiled back. Things had been very awkward between them since she had started seeing Bobby.

"Hi," he said.

"Hey," she replied.

"What's up?"

She couldn't look at him. "I don't know how to tell you this Jimmy."

"Are you pregnant?"

She shook her head. "You saw the result of that test."

He nodded. "Come on, Kimmy just tell me, please?"

She was looking at the floor. "Jimmy, I have cancer."

He went ghost white. "What?"

"I have stomach cancer, to be exact."

"What does this mean?"

"It means that I have to have surgery to get the cancerous part of my stomach removed."

"Why are you telling me this?"

She looked up at him. "Because you're still very important to me."

"But Bobby's going to be the one who will be there the whole time right?"

She nodded. "Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I don't need you to have a role in it."

"What kind of role?"

"Jimmy, I have a thirty five percent chance of dieing."

He was trying to hold back tears. "Why are you being so grim?"

"Cause you'll let me."

"What?"

"Bobby just wants to be positive, and think that it'll all be okay, but it might not be. You're the only person who can handle that fact."

He nodded. "All right."

"You know all the things that I want, or don't want when I die. You're the only one, and I'm sorry that you have to be that person."

"It's all right, Kim. I can handle that."

She nodded. "And you are also the one who is going to be raising Joey if something happens."

"Does he know?"

"Not yet, I don't even know how to tell him yet."

"All right. Kimmy, you can't leave him, he needs you."

"I don't want to, but if I do have to, I want to know you're going to take proper care of him."

"I can try, but I'm not so good with him."

"I know that. But I think you could be if you had to be."

He nodded. "If that happens I'll have to make it work. Got any advise?"

"Yeah, if you get him, ask for help from whoever is willing to offer it."

"All right."

"I don't know if this is too much to ask, Jimmy." She started. "No, never mind."

"No, Kimmy, please?"

"If something happens to me, I'd really like if Bobby could still have some part of his life. He's always been there, and I just don't think it would be fair to him if I died, and then he couldn't go to Bobby."

"I agree with you, on that. Bobby is amazing with him, and I should have taken lessons a long time ago."

Kim half smiled. "If Joey decided he didn't need him anymore, that would be fine, I just don't want you to be the one to take that away from him."

"I promise, I won't."

She tried to smile. "Thank you."

"Kimmy are okay?"

"No."

She couldn't keep herself from crying. The floodgates opened. He took her into his arms, and hugged her close.

"You're strong, you're going to the through this," he assured her.

"I don't know Jimmy, I'm so scared," she replied.

"You've made it through a divorce with me, that has to say something."

She smiled a little. "Jimmy-"

"I know you, and I know what you're capable of. Yeah, it's going to be a fight, but you're up to it. You're more then up to it. If something happens then I'll deal with it, just like you asked, but I don't think that's going to be the case."

She nodded. "This is gonna be really hard."

"I can only imagine what this is going to be like."

"They're taking a part of my stomach, Jimmy."

"And if they didn't?"

"I'd be dead within a year."

"Then let them take it."

She nodded. "I guess it's a good thing that I actually went to the doctor."

"I bet Bobby had a lot do with that."

"Yeah."

"He's really good for, you know that?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I do."

He laughed. "Cause I would have never been able to make you see a doctor if you didn't think you had to."

She smiled at him. "Joey had a lot to do with it too."

He nodded. "Just cause I'm okay with him doesn't mean that I like that he's the one who gets to take you home every night."

"I know that."

"You deserve someone who treats you right, and I'm sorry I could never be that person."

"I learned a lot from you. And I got Joey, so that makes all the bullshit worth it."

"And we'll always have him to remind us there was a time where we thought we loved each other."

She nodded. "Yeah. I do want you to be there too, Jimmy."

"That wouldn't end well. You know that."

"I love Bobby."

"I know you do, and that's why you need me as far away as possible."

She nodded. "He said that he'll marry me when this is all over with."

"That's great! Do you think you're ready for marriage number two?"

"Yeah, I do. Hopefully this one works out better for you."

"I somehow think it will."

He nodded. "Yeah, I somehow think that he won't mess around with your sister behind your back."

She laughed a little. "No, that doesn't really sound much like him at all."

"We've had some amazing times, you know that?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we have."

"Don't look back anymore, all right? Just look forward."

"I won't. Why is it that everything goes so wrong when I'm so happy?"

He shrugged. "Once you get over this you'll have your quota of bad news I'm sure."

"I really hope so."

"I bet that after this is all said and done you'll almost live happily ever after."

She laughed. "Life doesn't work that way."

"All right, after this is done, you'll be happy, like you should always have been."

"Thank you Jimmy. So we can be just friends?"

"Always."

She hugged him again. Jimmy noticed as he hugged her that she had lost a lot of weight, she didn't feel the same as the last time he had had her that close. Kim was glad that she could get support from him too. Just because he was in the past didn't mean he didn't mean a lot to her.

"I guess I need to tell everyone else now huh?" Kim asked.

"They're probably more then a little curious," replied Jimmy.

They left the office, and Kim went right over to Bobby. He wrapped his arm around her waist. She smiled at him lovingly.

"So what's the news?" asked Carlos.

Kim shook her head, not at all surprised that it was Carlos who would just start pushing for answers. The kid really needed to learn how to be more diplomatic when he was looking for information.

Kim squeezed Bobby's hand, she knew telling everyone that she worked was going to be the hardest to do. She didn't really know why, but she was dreading tell them. Probably mostly because she didn't have any idea how they might react.

"There's no point in beating around the bush with you guys," she said. "I've got stomach cancer."

"What?" asked Carlos, shocked.

"Yeah, I need surgery in about a month, and if I make it through that I'll be able to go back to work six months after."

"Come on," DK said. "You have to be shitting us."

Kim shook her head. "No, that's why I've been sick for the last little while. I told you I wasn't pregnant."

"Did you say stomach cancer?" asked Walsh.

"Yeah."

"Kim, I'm so sorry, my aunt had that, I – Kim don't you go dieing on us."

She half smiled. "I'm not planning on it, and if someone tries to take me I'm gonna kick up one hell of a fight."

Walsh hugged her. "You had better."

"Bobby," said Lombardo. "You had better keep us updated on all the information once everything goes down."

"I will."

"You had better come back," said DK. "It just wouldn't be the same around here without your pretty face brightening up the place."

Kim smiled. "All right, I'll remember that."

"I'm serious Kim, it just wouldn't seem right around here without you. It's gonna be bad enough you're noting going to be around for seven months."

Kim shrugged. "I could always visit when I'm feeling better."

"That'd be good."

She was glad that even something as serious as what she was telling them was still something they could be themselves about. The fire bell went off shortly after, and they all left. Kim knew she was going to miss the action around there, but somehow she knew she'd be back. Kim and Bobby started for their place shortly after everyone left.

xxxx

Kim had called Faith as soon as she had gotten home. She was actually surprised that Faith had answered, and not Katri. She hadn't realized that it was her day off. Kim was really glad in a way, because she wanted to talk to her face to face.

Bobby had let her use his car, and Kim now pulling up to Faith's place. She went over, and buzzed up. She then went upstairs, and was soon sitting on the couch at her friend's place.

"Where's Katri?" Kim asked.

"She's out exploring the city," Faith explained.

"She's still fascinated by it?"

"Yeah. All right let's quit stalling all right?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah."

"So what happened at the doctor today?"

"I was diagnosed with stomach cancer."

Faith could hardly believe what she was hearing. Had she really said what she thought she said?

"Did you just say you have cancer?" Faith asked.

Kim nodded. "Yeah."

"So what's going to happen?"

"I'm going to need surgery."

"What kind of surgery?"

"I need the cancerous part of my stomach removed."

Faith went pale. "Oh my god!"

"That's what I'm thinking. But on the upside it'll probably keep me good and skinny."

Faith laughed. "That's probably true. Are you scared?"

"I'm terrified, but if I don't do it then I will end up dieing, so I may as well just do it and see what happens right?"

Faith nodded. "You seem so calm about this."

"Every time I tell someone else it gets a little easier."

Faith nodded. "Have you told your son yet?"

"No, I haven't, and I don't even know what I'm going to tell him."

"Yeah, wow, how do you explain cancer to a six year old?"

"Yeah, that's my problem right now. I don't even know where to start explaining this to him."

"This is quiet the conundrum, isn't it?"

Kim nodded. "It's just that I can't just tell him I'm sick, because as far as he's concerned being sick means you've caught something from someone else, which means that anyone else around him can catch it."

"I don't even think I could explain that to Emily to a point where she'd be satisfied with it."

"Exactly. Also how do you tell a six year old that if you don't have major surgery you will die, and if you do it you might die anyway."

"Do you have to tell him that you could die?"

"I don't want him to be completely shocked if it does happen. Even if it doesn't happen I don't want him coming to me years in down the road, asking me why I never told him that I could have died."

Faith nodded. "What are the odds?"

"There's a sixty five percent five year survival rate on this kind of cancer, and that's about the highest because it was caught so early."

"Wow."

"Yeah, so it's not like it's something so minuscule that I can tell him that it didn't really matter."

"So you have to tell him that you could die."

She nodded. "I don't really have a choice in the matter, if I keep this from he now he'll never believe anything I say when he's a little older."

"And you defiantly don't want that. So do they know what caused you to get it?"

"Not really, the doctor said something about my blood type maybe having something to do with it. But really it's just something that just happened. They still haven't figured out exactly what causes stomach cancer."

Faith nodded. "That's really scary."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just glad I actually went to the doctor Because had it spread it would have made everything worse."

"Yeah, so when do you need this surgery?"

"The doctor hasn't given me the exact date, but he says in no more then a month. He's supposed to call me as soon as he knows what day he can get me in."

"That's fast."

"Really fast, because of what it is, they like to move as fast as possible, so that it doesn't get worse."

"It can spread that quickly?"

"Apparently, and if it ends up infecting another organ then you've got real problems."

"So you're not working from now on?"

Kim shook her head. "No, the doctor told me I could work if I wanted to, but Doc and Lieu thought it would be better if I just stayed off until I'm completely healed."

"That makes sense. It's probably better that way."

"Yeah, but I'm going to be going out of my mind not working for a month."

"I'm sure you'll have more on your mind to think about then worrying about not working."

"Yeah, that's what scares me. I'll be at home all day every day, just thinking about what could happen to me. I'll go nuts."

Faith couldn't help but chuckle. "You have a point there. Maybe you should find a hobby."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, knitting?"

Kim laughed. "I'd feel like grandmother."

"What about writing or drawing?"

"That might be a thought, and I could do it right after the surgery."

"You could."

"I like that idea, I may try it. So how are you doing?"

"My problems suddenly seem minor next to yours."

Kim shook her head. "It's not a contest. Just cause I'm sick doesn't mean I won't be here for you when you need someone to talk to."

Faith smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate that, but I'm really good right now. Things are finally starting to look good for me, and the kids!"

"That's great."

"Katri's amazing with them. Bosco and I are good, things are starting to look better for me."

Kim smiled. "I'm glad to hear it, you've been through some rough stuff of late. It's about time you get a break."

"It's my turn to help you while you're in crisis."

"Maybe, but don't hesitate to call me with your problems, I like helping you out."

Faith smiled. "I'll remember that, and if I do start calling you it'll give you something to do!"

"Exactly, see it's win win! I'll just be sitting around, going my god I'm bored, I need something to do. I'll actually be eager to help you with your problems."

"All right."

Kim glanced at her watch. "Oh, I'm really sorry to cut this late, but I want to pick Joey up from school, maybe take him out for ice cream or something before we tell him what's going on."

"That sounds like a great idea. Wow, it's getting late, the kids should be home soon."

"You let them walk home alone?"

"Katri said she's pick them up when she left."

"That's good then. Call me anytime though, seriously, all right?"

"I will." Faith gave her friend a hug. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, bye," said Kim before she left.

tbc...

end notes: all right i'm gonna have something with bosco and faith coming up, and some more faith stuff again soon, i realyl hope you're digging this subplot, i think it works, a little grim, but i mean the real show has thrown lotsa drama our way so i think we can deal ;) reviews make me very very happy, and speed up the trigger finger!


	18. 18

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i know i know the drama it's getting to be too much, got a wee bit of a break here, i promise i really hope you are liking this i always love to to hear what ppl are thinking about what i'm writing! 

Faith could still hardly believe what was going on with Kim. She needed to talk to someone, and she didn't know who to turn to. For the longest time she had had Fred, but he was gone now. Since he had left she had had Kim, but now she was sick.

There was only one other person she thought she could go to for support, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to do that again.

She knew she didn't want a repeat of the last time, but she also wasn't sure if she was strong enough to resist his charms. But she knew she needed to talk to someone about what was going on, and she figured that Bosco might be the only person who she could trust.

She picked up the phone, and dialed his number.

"Hi?" said Bosco.

"Hi, it's me," said Faith.

"Faith what's up?"

"I just need to talk to someone."

"Just talk?"

"Yeah, just talk, would you mind if I came over for a bit?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. I'll even tidy up the place."

She laughed. "Thank you, Bos, I really appreciate this."

"No problem, I'll see you in a bit?"

"Yeah, thank you so much."

XX

"Mommy, what's going on?" asked Joey, after he finished his supper.

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"We went for ice cream after school, and you made my favourite for supper. Something has to be going on."

She had to give it to the child, he was pretty perceptive. She wasn't sure how she was going to tell him what was going on with her. She didn't know where to start explaining cancer to someone so young.

"Yeah, there's something going on, Sweetie," she said. "I just don't know how to tell you what it is."

He nodded. "Are you gonna have a baby?"

"No, that's not it honey. I'm not going to have a baby."

"Cause my friend at school told me that when his Mom got sick all the time he got a brother."

Kim smiled. "Yeah, sometimes that's what getting sick in the morning means, but not this time, sorry."

He nodded. "Oh, okay. I still want a brother."

"I know you do. Look how about we go into the living room, all right? Go sit with Bobby, please."

"Are you and Bobby gonna get married?"

She smiled. "Yes, but there's something else too."

"Is it bad?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry, sweetie, it is bad news."

"You're not gonna die are you?"

Kim went pale, "please go into the other room, Joey."

He did as he was told, and went into the living room, and sat down on the couch next to Bobby. Joey was really worried about was going on.

"Bobby, is it true that you're gonna marry my mom?" he asked.

Bobby smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"When?"

"I don't know yet, I hope not too long from now."

"Do you think it's a sin to get married again?"

"No, I don't think so. I know that sins are really bad, and cause you to go to hell, but I don't think that getting married again is one of the sins that gets you there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if you just keep getting married again and again, then you'll probably go to hell, cause that's not good, and I'm sure God wouldn't like that too much."

"Then when do you think it's not a sin?"

"If you get married for the right reasons, and then something really changes like with your Mommy and Daddy, then God is okay with that, as long as you talk to him about it."

Joey nodded. "I think I get it."

"But I mean there are some sins that God could never forgive you for, like killing someone else."

"Yeah! So did you talk to God before you asked Mommy to marry you?"

Bobby smiled. "She asked me to marry her, and I'm sure she talked to God first."

"All right, good."

Kim came into the living room, and asked. "What were you boys talking about?"

"Sins and God," Joey replied. "Bobby knows a lot about that stuff."

"Does he?"

"Yup, he says that sometimes God is okay if you get married again, as long as you talk to him first."

Kim smiled at Bobby, then at her son. "I think Bobby's got a good point there, honey."

"Me too! So I don't think you're gonna go to hell Mommy."

"I'm glad you think that."

Kim sat down next to him on the other side. The three were now sitting on the couch with Joey between them.

"I have something really important to tell you," Kim told her son.

"Okay," he replied.

"I went to another doctor today, and he told me I was really sick."

Joey went pale. "From what?"

"It's something called cancer, and it's in my tummy."

"Can I get it?"

"No, honey, it's not that kind of sick."

"And they're sure it's not just a baby in there?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, they're sure it's not a baby. What's in my stomach is something called a tumor."

"What's that?"

"It's really hard to explain, but it's something that they have to take out to make me feel better."

"Oh, how?"

"With an operation. You remember like your friend Becca had when you were in preschool, and she had to take a little bit of time off, and you made her that card?"

He nodded. "Is it the same thing, where your throat hurts, and you getta eat popsicles all the time?"

"Kind of, it's the same idea. What they're going to do is take the piece of my tummy that's sick."

"Oh."

"I know, it's sounds really scary, but if the doctor does everything right then I'll get better."

"And if he doesn't?"

Kim looked down. "If he doesn't, then I'll have to go heaven."

Joey started to cry. "I don't want you to go!"

"I don't want to either, and I'm going to fight to stay here with you, I promise you that."

"Can't you just promise to stay here with me and Bobby?"

"I wish I could, Joey, but I can't do that. This is a very hard surgery, and there's a pretty big change that I'll be all right, so we're gonna keep on thinking that I'm going to be fine."

He hugged his mother. "You hafta be! I don't want you to leave!"

She kissed him on the forehead. "I don't want to leave you, or Bobby, or even Daddy, but you know that God controls that."

He nodded. "Yeah, can I ask him not to?"

"Of course you can, honey."

"I'm going to prey for the same thing, and I'm going to get my whole church to do it too," Bobby explained.

"Really?" Joey asked Bobby.

"Yeah, I am."

"Then he's gotta listen!"

"He should, so you just keep praying, and I'll pray too, and then hopefully your mom will not go anywhere."

He nodded. "Okay Bobby! I'm gonna go right now!"

Joey ran into his room. Kim leaned over and kissed Bobby on the cheek. She then curled up into his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," he kissed her on the forehead.

She smiled at him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"You're going to make it through this, Kim you just need to stay strong."

She nodded. "I know."

He kissed her forehead again. "I need you too much to let you go. And Joey needs you too."

She nodded. "I know, he'll never believe anything again if I don't make it through this. You were so good with him."

He smiled. "I try."

"Do you think Jimmy'll be mad that we told him, without him being here?"

"I don't think so, it's my news to tell."

Bobby nodded. "You're probably right."

XX

Faith had just arrived at Bosco's, part of her wanted to leave, but she knew she had to talk to someone about the news she had just received, from Kim. She really had nowhere else to go. A part of her had hoped that Fred would magically reappear just when she needed him most, thought she knew logically that would not happen.

She got out of the cab, and walked up the stoop of Bosco's building. She buzzed up, and he let her up immediately. When she got to his hallway, she noticed the his door was open. She let herself in, and shut the door behind her.

"Hello?" she called.

"I'll be out in a minute," Bosco called from that washroom.

A few minutes later Bosco emerged. She had looked around the apartment, and noticed that he had cleaned it. It looked a lot better then last time she came. Still very lived in, but there were no old take out containers anymore, and the clothes seemed to confined to one corner.

"I need to do some laundry," he chuckled.

She smiled. "It's looks a lot better in here."

"I even cleaned the toilet for you, just in case you need to use it while you're here."

"I really appreciate that."

"I thought you might, it was looking a little gross."

She laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess a clean toilet isn't such a big thing for a guy."

"Not exactly. Faith, please have a seat, you're making me nervous."

She sat down on the couch. "Better?"

"Yeah, so what's up?"

Faith looked at the floor. "It's Kim."

"What about her?"

"Bos, she's got stomach cancer."

"Oh my god!"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, she told me earlier today. I couldn't believe it. She needs to get a part of her stomach removed."

"You know some people pay good money to get their stomachs made smaller."

"Kim is hardly a candidate for that."

Bosco nodded. "Yeah, she's a really skinny, and looks so much skinnier of late."

Faith nodded. "She probably is, since she's got a tumor growing inside her."

"Yeah, wow, what are her chances?"

Faith again looked at the floor. "She said it's got a sixty five percent survival rate."

"It could be worse."

"It could better."

"Was it cause they caught it late?"

She shook her head. "Kim said it was actually high cause they caught it so early."

"I wonder what low is."

"Yeah, I know. Scary huh?"

"Very scary. I couldn't can't even imagine what she's going through."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, I know, I'd be terrified."

"Doesn't she have a son?"

"She does, it doesn't seem right does it?"

"No, but they say the lord works in mysterious ways."

"Yeah."

Bosco had been sitting on a chair opposite her, came and sat next to her on the couch. He then took her hand in his.

"I'm sure she'll make it though."

Faith nodded. "I hope you're right."

He squeezed her hand tighter. "Try to be positive."

She pulled her hand away. "I'm trying." He went to take her hand. "Bos, please."

"What?"

"I don't want a repeat of what happened last time."

He nodded, and felt dejected. "All right."

"It's not that I don't' think you're amazing, it's just that I'm not ready for that just yet."

"For what?"

"For being with you, or with anyone for that matter. I'm still not over everything that happened with Fred."

Bosco nodded. "I understand that, but if you're ever ready I'll be here."

She smiled. "I'll remember to call first."

He laughed. "That not be your safest option, you know what I'm like. But I do really care about you, don't forget that all right?"

"Thank you."

"It's the truth. I know you're not ready for anything right now, and the fact that I respect that has to tell you something."

She smiled. "That you don't find me attractive?"

He shook his head. "I would have never been with you if I didn't find you attractive. You're amazing, I've told you that already."

She smiled. "You know I'm not sure if I like this Boscorelli charm thing."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "I just, I don't know. A lot of it is because I know your reputation. I know your track record, and that would make anyone a little weary."

"You're not like the girls I just like to mess around with, Faith. You're different."

"Bos-"

"No, I mean it. You mean a lot more to me. You're my partner, and a good friend. I wouldn't want to anything to screw up what we already have."

"We're lucky we didn't the last time I was here."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just saw you hurting, and feeling rejected. The only thing I could think of to help you was to show you that I was attracted to you, and make you notice that I had been for a long time."

"I don't think that was what I was thinking."

"What were you thinking?"

"For the most part was wondering what the hell I was doing with you."

"It's called sex, Faith, if you don't' know that, you shouldn't have kids!"

She laughed. "You know what I mean! I was surprised that I was doing it with you. Or more along the lines of, why in the world is Bosco with me?"

"Why?"

"For one thing I was married at the time."

"Well, that was going down the crapper pretty fast."

She smiled. "For another thing I wasn't some blonde bimbo."

"They're fun to play with, but not keep."

She smiled. "Bos, please."

"It's true. If was going to settle down with any kind of woman, it would be one like you. One who already has her stuff in order."

She smiled. "I'm sure you don't want one who comes with an automatic family."

"I actually really like your kids, they're great."

She nodded. "I love them, but I never thought of you as the type to want to be an instant father."

He shrugged. "I always thought I'd have kids one day, not soon, but one day. If I was with you I'd take on the role, cause they need a father."

She smiled. "Don't I know it."

"Even know, I'll take Charlie and teach him man stuff once a week or something. Maybe on one of my days off every week."

Faith laughed. "Man stuff?"

"You know, about women, and guns, and stuff." He laughed.

"I don't know if I like that idea."

"Aww, come on, just man stuff. Male bonding. Maybe not guns and women just yet. But maybe take him to laser tag, and rock climbing those kinds of things."

"I think he'd actually like that."

"Good then I'll take him on one of my days off in the evening, after school for a few hours. Do something with him, then take him for supper, and get him back in time for bed. Every once in a while Em can come along so she doesn't feel like she's missing out on anything."

Faith smiled. "You really don't have to do that."

"I want to, Faith. Those kids need to see that not all guys are jerks."

"Then are you really the best candidate?"

"I can be a good guy sometimes! Sure I'm not their father, but at least it'll teach 'em that some people, men especially, do care about them."

"Yeah, Lyn's been saying they need that."

"Then ask her the next time if she thinks it's a good idea if you let your partner take 'em and do the male bonding thing. It's not like they don't know me already, either, so that'll make it easier."

"I will, thank you, Bos."

He kissed her on the cheek. "No problem, and don't hesitate to come to me when you need something. Especially now that Kim is sick."

She nodded. "She told me she'd still give me advise, but I'd feel like shit going to about everything cause she's going to have so much stuff to deal with."

"If you can't handle it, and you don't' think she could, I'm always here for you."

"You're an amazing guy."

"Don't let that get around," he chuckled.

"I'll keep it under wraps, don't worry."

"Good, cause I really don't want everyone know that I'm actually a good guy."

She laughed. "What's wrong with that?"

"I have a reputation to uphold. Officer Maurice Boscorelli, womanizer."

"And screw up?"

"We can leave that one out, just something about liking only hot single, childless women."

She shook her head. "If that's what tickles your pickle!"

His jaw dropped. "Faith! I can't believe you just said that!"

She smiled. "What?"

"You know what! That's so not like you."

She shrugged. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do?"

He nodded. "Apparently. Hey do you wanna talk?"

"We are talking."

"No I mean really talk."

"We talk all the time."

"I know, but I've been going on a lot about me of late."

"Not really."

He shrugged. "I don't know, I just get the feeling like. I don't know you need to talk to someone who is past puberty and understand every word you use."

She smiled, "that would be nice."

"Come here," he said pulling her into his arms.

"Bos."

"I'm not going to do anything, just enjoy having close human contact."

She smiled. "All right, you're nuts you know that?"

He shrugged, and she soon eased into the friendly embrace. As soon as she relaxed she felt different from the last time. She was also glad to have close contact with someone other then her children. She felt really good being held again.

"Just enjoy it all right, Faith?"

"All right."

"So tell me about anything you'd like."

She got comfortable in his arms, and began talking about her kids, and her au pair, and anything else that popped into her head.

She had to admit he had had a great idea. She was actually feeling relaxed, and was just glad to have someone listening to her again, if even for a few hours.

He just held her and listen. She was so relaxed in his arms, she didn't even realize herself drowsing off to sleep, as he told her about what he felt when he first saw her kids.

"So yeah, I you know I kinda love your kids like they're my niece and nephew, or maybe even like my little sister and brother," he concluded, He was very surprised when she didn't respond. "Faith?"

She still didn't respond, and he realized that she had fallen asleep. He carefully moved, and she didn't stir. He found a clean blanket, and put it on her. He then kissed her forehead, and made his way to his own room.

It was strange having a woman in his apartment, and not having her in his bed, but he knew that was not what she needed. He curled up, alone, in his bed, and his mind and dreams were soon filled with thoughts and images of her.

tbc...

end notes: so i told you'd i'd have more faith bosco stuff, hpe you like it, it wasn't much, got some more coming up hehe, not really sure where i wanna take it at this point, i have an idea i'd like to do... you'll see, you'll see...anywho hope you like it... reveiws are always nice


	19. 19

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i think i've got some interseting stuff in here, just some loose ends before kim's surgery, that should be next, hope you like, pls tell me if you do hugz and kissez to all who have! 

Kim was surprised when she heard a knock on the door. It had been a week since she had been off work and she was already going crazy.

The surgery was planned for two weeks later. As soon as she had been diagnosed everything fell into place very quickly, because they knew the sooner she was operated on, the less of a chance there was for the cancer to spread.

She stood up, and answered the door, and was surprised to see Jimmy standing there. Since she wasn't working she no longer knew anyone's hours. Joey was at her mother's as she hadn't been feeling well that morning, and everyone agreed she needed to just relax.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, stepping out of the way.

He went and sat down on the couch, and she shut the door behind him.

"Can I get you something?" she offered.

"No, thanks, I just want to talk to you," he said.

"Oh all right." She sat down next to him. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Why did you tell Joey?"

"He had to know Jimmy, I couldn't keep it a secret from him."

"Why didn't you ask me to be there when you told him?"

She shrugged. "I didn't think Jimmy, I'm sorry."

"Kimmy, look." He tried to take her hand.

"I've asked you to please not call me that." She pushed his hand away.

"I'm sorry. It's just, that, Kim."

"I've moved on Jimmy, I'm happy with Bobby now."

"I know you've moved on. But that shouldn't change things with Joey."

She looked at him quizzically. "It hasn't, I don't restrict your seeing him."

"That's not what I mean, Kim. You told him about this without me. Was Bobby there?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I really didn't think about it. I mean it was my news to tell him."

"Look, I'm happy that you seem to be happy with Bobby, and if I ever saw the slightest crack I'd be right there to scoop you off your feet again."

"Jimmy-"

"Hear me out. I'm not going to do anything to screw up what you have with Bobby. I know it's good for you. But I'm still Joey's father."

"I know that."

He shook his head. "Then why didn't you tell him about what was going on with me there?"

She looked at her hands. "I'm so sorry, Jimmy. Bobby was there, and he started asking question. I didn't want to lie to him, or keep him waiting. I just needed to tell him, I didn't even think that you'd want to be here."

"Okay, I can understand that, but can you understand my point now?"

She nodded. "Yes, I can, Jimmy. And I don't want you to feel like you're taking a backseat to Bobby, just because he sees him more. I should have involved you in telling him what was going on. You are his father, and unless you tell me differently I have to involved you in as much of his life as possible. He needs us to be the ones telling him about major things in his life. Not Bobby and me."

Jimmy nodded. "I love Joey to death, and sometimes I feel like he's all I got left to remind me of you."

She smiled. "Don't talk like that."

"That's not what I mean, you just can't die Kimmy. What I mean is sometimes I feel like what I had with you was all a really great dream, and then I woke up. But then I see Joey and I know that it wasn't a dream, that it was real, and I screwed it up."

She nodded. "Did you ever."

"I never meant to hurt you. I didn't think before I was with her."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You need to know. Look, I always loved you, I just didn't know how to show how much you meant to me."

"So you slept with my sister?"

He shook his head. "I went to her looking for ways to make you happy. You seemed so sad, and things got out of hand. I shouldn't have let it. I should have left, and I was probably the one who incited it all without even knowing it. And I'm sorry about everything."

"Are you saying this cause you think I'm going to die?" She asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Maybe a little, but you getting sick made me realize what you meant to me. What you shoulda meant to me. I just don't want you to move on without me, and never let me see my son again."

"Jimmy I'd never-"

"I didn't think you would, but until a little while ago, I didn't think that you'd tell our son something so important without me."

"I'm so sorry, Jimmy, it'll never happen again."

He nodded. "Also, I want you to know that if you want to go to your sister, you can, and you probably should."

"I can't."

"It wasn't her, Kimmy!"

She was crying. "Does it matter who started it? Or who finished it, what would have mattered was who stopped it! And neither of you did!"

"So you can look at me in the face again, but not her?"

"I have to look at you because of Joey."

"Joey has nothing to do with those nights that you were lonely, and you know it."

She looked up at him, sadly. "That-"

"Kim, I don't want you to be with me anymore. I would love it if we could be together again, but that's not going to happen. You're happy with Bobby, and you deserve that kind of happiness. That's what I should have given you."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Stop making it her fault, that she slept with your husband. Make it that your husband slept with your sister."

"I don't know if I can."

"If something, heaven forbid, was to happen to you when you get the surgery, I'd never be able to forgive myself if you weren't talking to your sister when it happened."

"So I'm just supposed to forget all the pain she caused me?"

"I caused you, Kim! I caused you the pain not her. I came onto her, and much stronger women have not been able to resist the Doherty charm, you for example."

She shook her head. "No, but you were my husband she should have-"

"What, Kim, you tried to say no to me, you know what I say when you say no, or that you're not feeling right about it. I talk to you until you don't know what's what, other then I want to be with you. You feel like you are the only woman in the world, and that I only have eyes for you."

She blushed remembering those times. "Jimmy-"

"See, you're almost in that place thinking about it, Kim. It's a curse, or a gift, depending on how you look at it, that I have, I can make you forget everyone and everything else, and just be in the moment with me. If I wanted to I could probably talk you into one last time for old times sake."

"Jimmy! I'm with Bobby now."

"I know you are, but if that's what I wanted, that's what I'd get. Don't you understand Kim?"

"Jimmy, I really don't know."

"It's me, it's all me. It's something that I do, and it doesn't need to make sense you just do it. You may regret it after, but in the moment it's the best thing that has ever happened to you."

"I don't know."

"I don't want to use it on you anymore, but I will to prove my point."

"Jimmy?"

"You're beautiful Kim, you know that?"

Now she wasn't sure what was going on. "Stop that."

"You are, amazing, I would hate to see you go without one last kiss."

"Jim-" She was shushed but his fingers on her lips.

"Your lips, god I remember how they taste, they're so sweet. Like no one else I've ever tasted. Do you remember what I taste like Kimmy?"

"Jimmy I-"

"Don't think about him for just a minute, Kimmy, just one quick minute. Let me just taste you one last time, just in case. I promise I'll never ask anything like this again."

"I-" She shut her eyes.

"See?" Jimmy asked.

"You?"

"I'm sorry, I had to make you realize. Sometimes I just need to get what I think I want. That's how I do it. That's how I did it with Melanie."

"I want you to leave!"

"I will. Just promise me you'll include me in everything that has to do with our son from now on?"

"Yeah, I promise."

"And Kimmy, go make up with you sister, you're gonna need her when you're fighting to stay alive for our amazing little boy."

She nodded. "All right." She then got more stern. "Now get out!"

"Gladly!"

Jimmy left the apartment, and within minutes Kim was looking for her phone book. She soon found it, and the number she was looking for. She picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello?" said the voice on the other end.

"Hi, Mel, it's Kim," Kim replied.

"Wow, you're the last person I expected to hear from. Is something the matter?"

"I don't want to tell you over the phone."

"All right, umm, does this have to do with Jimmy?"

"No, and yes. No it has nothing to do with Jimmy. But yes, my calling you was all his idea."

"You're not together again are you?"

"Oh, god, no. I'm with somebody else now."

"Anyone I know?"

"Yeah, look I don't want to talk to you on the phone. I'd like to talk to you face to face, how about you come to my place?"

"You live at the same place?"

"Yeah, I didn't want Joey to have to move as well as everything else."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, bye."

"Bye."

Click. The phone went dead, and Kim waited for her sister. She heard the knock on the door, and she practically ran to greet her. She opened the door, and gave her sister a huge hug.

"Wow," said Melanie. "Are you all right?"

"Sit down," Kim told her sister.

Melanie made her way to the couch. "Kim where did this come from?"

"Jimmy told me the truth, and it was all him, and I'm sorry I didn't believe you before."

"It's all right, I wouldn't have believed me either." She glanced over at one of the side tables, and saw a picture of Bobby holding Kim. "You're with Bobby now?"

Kim grinned. "Yeah, he lives here with us, actually."

"I'm so happy for you Bobby was always so perfect for you. And his eyes were never really off you."

Kim blushed. "I'm really happy with him."

Melanie laughed. "I get the feeling I'm not just here to talk about old times."

"Yeah, have you talked to Mom?"

"Yeah, but she never tells me a thing about you."

Kim looked past her sister. "Sometimes I wish Mom had a bigger mouth."

Melanie laughed. "Well, out with it, Sis."

"Mel, I've got cancer."

"What? How bad?"

"Stomach cancer, actually, and it's in the early stages, so it's operable."

"Operable?"

"Yeah, in a couple of weeks I need to get a part of my stomach removed."

"Oh god, Kimmy."

Tears began to roll down her face. "That's why Jimmy came clean. He didn't want to have you not being there on his conscience."

"What are the chances?"

"They think about sixty five percent that I'll make it."

Melanie tired to light the mood. "At least it's a pass."

Kim half smiled, remembering that they would say that when they got low grades, and thought they'd be in trouble for it. She then hugged her sister.

"I missed you," Kim whispered, starting to cry.

"I missed you, too," Melanie assured her sister, and she too began to cry.

The door squeaked open, and neither woman even looked up. Kim assumed it was Bobby who was on his lunch. Although he was riding with someone else, his new partner, never came up. He'd go to somewhere close by, and Bobby would pick him up before their break was over.

"Now that's a sight for sore eyes," Bobby laughed.

"Bobby?" asked Melanie.

"Yeah, and Kim I swear I never touched her!"

Kim smiled. "I know you didn't."

"Wow, it's been so long," Melanie said, giving Bobby a hug.

"Yeah, and to what do we owe this visit?" Bobby asked.

"Kim asked me to come over. She said that she forgives me, and she told me about the-" Melanie couldn't even say it.

"Yeah. So how have you been?"

"Great, I'm glad to have my sister back."

"I'd imagine. I only wish it was under better circumstances."

"Yeah, me too." She needed to change the subject. "How have you been treating her?"

"Like the queen that she is."

Melanie smiled, she had always liked Bobby, and thought he'd be a better match for her then Jimmy. She felt like Jimmy had only been a fling that had gone terribly wrong when she found out she was pregnant.

"So you were finally able to reel her in?" laughed Melanie.

"You know she's right here?" Kim asked.

"So what made you decide to actually see Bobby's admiring gaze?"

"I slept with him, and he told me he loved me."

Melanie laughed. "Come on really?"

"I'm serious. His brother left town, he came over. One thing led to another, and then the next morning he told me he loved me."

"And then she ran like hell," Bobby added.

"Luckily a friend of mine smacked some sense into me, and I went right back."

"The rest so they say is history," laughed Bobby.

Melanie smiled. "I'm glad that you're finally happy with someone."

Kim nodded, knowing the part that her sister didn't want to say. It hardly seemed just that she had finally found the man of her dreams, and now she was facing a surgery which could take her from him forever.

"And if she hasn't told you already, we're engaged," Bobby told Melanie.

"Really?" she asked.

Kim nodded. "I'm still waiting for a ring."

"Bobby?" Melanie asked.

"She asked me, and I haven't found anything that I think would suit her."

"In that case you're forgiven. Always the one to go after what she wants, huh, Kimmy?"

Kim smiled. "Something like that."

Melanie and Kim began to catch up on old times while Bobby made supper for everyone.

xxxx

It was about nine o'clock when the door opened, and Emily and Charlie came bounding into the apartment. They each gave their mother a hug, and they both had huge smiles plastered on their faces.

Bosco came in, a little reluctantly right after them.

"Did you have fun?" Faith asked them.

"Yeah!" the both exclaimed.

"What did you do?"

"We played laser tag," Charlie said.

"And Bosco let us kick his butt!" Emily laughed.

"I did no such thing!" Bosco said, offended.

"Yeah, right, Bosco! You hadda to of let us win, cause you're a cop, and you gotta have a good shot!" Charlie reasoned.

"He's got you there, Bos," Faith laughed.

"All right, so I didn't shoot as much as I could have, but I still tried."

Emily shook her head. "Thank you, I had a lot of fun."

"No problem, Emily."

"I missed doing stuff like that. Maybe next time Mom can come?"

"It's up to her."

Emily nodded. "You should Mom!"

"I'll think about it."

"Yeah, thank you Bosco, it was so much fun, what are we gonna do next time?"

"I don't know yet, Buddy. It's kind of late, how about you go get into your pajamas, before your Mom gets mad at me?"

The two of them laughed. "All right."

"Good night, Bosco," Emily said hugging him.

"Good night, Em, sweet dreams," said Bosco.

"Yeah, night, Bosco," said Charlie, going to hug him but changing his mind at last minute.

"Good night, sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bight!"

"And if they do, I'll get my shoe, and beat 'em till they're black and blue!"

"Night Buddy!"

Faith just stood in the living room, smiling stupidly at him. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Not only had he brought them out, and they had a great time. But he also scooted them off to bed when he got them home a little late.

"What?" Bosco asked.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it," she told him.

"What?"

"That, everything, Bos, you were prefect with them."

He smiled. "I just took notes from you, all those times I was here for supper."

She smiled at him. "Where did you bring them for supper?"

"We had burgers, and fries, at some diner near the laser tag place."

"All right, what do I owe you?"

"Not a penny, I'm glad to do it."

"Bos, you shouldn't have to pay for my kids."

"I want to, Faith, I'm happy to do it."

"Thank you so much."

He nodded. "But I'm going to get out of here so you can get those two to bed. I'm pretty sure it's already past their bedtime."

"You're right." She hugged him. "Thanks again."

"My pleasure." He squeezed her tightly.

He went to kiss her on the cheek, but she moved, and they ended up kissing on the lips. Just a quick, chaste kiss, but still on the lips. They pulled away from each other afraid to touch as soon as they noticed what they had done.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked, not looking at her.

"Yeah, tomorrow," she replied, hurriedly, looking at the floor. "Unless something unexpected happens tonight,"

Bosco laughed. "All right, good night then."

"Yeah, good night."

Bosco left, and Faith shut and locked the door behind him. Katri had not been feeling well, and had spent most of the day asleep in her room. She went into the kid's room, and they were both in their beds.

"Mom?" asked Emily.

"Yeah, Sweetie?" she replied.

"Are you gonna marry Bosco?"

"What?"

Charlie laughed. "You heard her, are you gonna marry Bosco?"

Faith shook her head. "No!"

"Why not?" asked Emily.

"Cause, you have to be to date and be in love with a person before you just go off and marry them."

"Then are you gonna date him then?" asked Charlie.

"I don't really think so."

"Why not?"

"You're not supposed to date your partner, and that's not a rule that we're gonna break."

"Oh, is that all that's stopping you?"

Faith shrugged. "Not all of it, but most of it."

"Do you like him?" asked Charlie.

"I don't really know I've never really thought about it. Where is all this coming from?"

Emily shrugged. "We just had fun today, that's all."

"I understand that, but why marriage and stuff all of sudden?"

"Cause there were times when if you'd been there it woulda been like we had a family again," Charlie explained.

"Charlie, even if I did marry Bosco that doesn't mean- Look, it wouldn't be the same as with your father."

"It wasn't the same, exactly," Emily reasoned. "It was just kind of the same, and I missed feeling like that."

Faith nodded. "I'll tell you what, though, I'll go with you every once in a while. But remember that Bosco's just taking Charlie next week."

Emily nodded. "I know. Can we do something special too then?"

Faith nodded. "That's a great idea, Emily"

Emily smiled. "Mom?"

"One more thing before we got sleep."

"Shoot."

"Think about marrying Bosco."

She smiled. "I'm not promising anything, but I'll think about it."

Charlie smiled. "Good."

"All right, now enough of finding me a new husband, you two have school tomorrow."

"Good night, Mom," said Emily.

"Good night, Em, love you."

"Love you too."

"Good night, Mom," said Charlie.

"Night Charlie, love 'ya."

"Love 'ya back!"

Faith kissed them each on the forehead, and then went to her own room. As she laid there staring at the ceiling, she thought of the chaste kiss she had shared with Bosco, and what her kids had just said. She wondered if she could possibly have a future with Bosco.

tbc...

end notes: What do you think about what jimmy did? i needed to put melanie in somehow... and what do u think of the bosco faith ust? hmm... reviews are always greatafully appricated, and when you review if there's a fic i think i'll understand i'll take a peak at urs


	20. 20

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: all right two more parts and i'm skipping head a bit again, hehe... so as i said i feel the mecdical info is fairly accurate but you get to a point in the reasearch where you get "your doc will..." so, for that stuff i just kind of made it work, i hadda do a little bit of re-write when i finally found some recovery stuff, and i feel this is as a accurate as i can make it without getting the diease myself... tell me what you think as always i love to hear it

Bobby and Kim were hugging each other very tightly in the waiting room before Kim's operation was scheduled to start. Kim didn't seem like she wanted to let go of him. Now that the day was upon her she was terrified

Part of her didn't want to go, although she knew what would happen if she didn't. She held Bobby for a long moment, ignoring the other man in the room with them.

Bobby kissed her on the cheek. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"No," she replied honestly.

"It's going to be all right, and once you're in your room, I'll be there the rest of the time, I promise."

"I'm so scarred." She somehow managed to bring him closer into their embrace.

"I know, but you'll be better soon."

Jimmy watched helplessly at the scene unfolding in front of his eyes. He wasn't even sure why she had wanted him there. He would get so jealous whenever he saw Bobby with his ex wife. Especially when they were having moments like those.

"You're going to be just fine," Bobby whispered in her ear.

"I hope you're right," she said, trying not to cry.

Her eye finally met Jimmy's. She extracted herself from Bobby's loving arms, and went to her ex husband. She gave him a hug, but not one quiet as friendly as she had just shared with Bobby.

"You give Joey some extra hugs and kisses for me while I'm in the hospital and he's staying with you," she told him.

"I will," he promised.

"And don't forget what we talked about."

Jimmy nodded. "I know, I won't."

"Thank you for everything."

"What are friends for?"

He still found it odd to call himself her friend, but that was what she needed him to be. So that was the role he was going to play for her. He hated to be the one who knew what all her wishes were if something were to happen on the operating table.

She smiled at him, then gave Bobby another hug, before the nurse led her away, to prep her for her surgery.

The two men sat down in the waiting room, and were ready for the long haul. It was not going to be a short nor simple surgery and both men knew it. The could only hope that everything went smoothly, and that she would get through the surgery in one piece.

"You scared?" Bobby asked Jimmy.

"Yeah, I'm terrified," Jimmy replied. "You."

"Yeah, I'm more then the scared. I'm glad I'm not the only one."

Jimmy simply nodded, unsure of what else to say.

Who would of ever thought we'd be getting along?" Bobby asked.

Jimmy smiled nervously. "Pretty shitty circumstances though."

"Yeah, do you think she'll be all right?"

"I think she'll be fine, she's really tough."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah."

"Besides I saw her when she saw Joey the first time, she would not go away from him without a fight."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've never seen anyone look like that before. She got him in her arms, and at first she wasn't sure what was really going on, like she didn't believe it. Then he moved, or something, I can't ever remember, but all of a sudden instead of looking at him, like what in the hell is this, she looked at him like – I don't know, Bobby it's hard to explain. When you two have a kid you'll see what I'm talking about."

"I guess so, maybe."

"She wants another one, she said that after Joey was born. She's always wanted a little girl."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she'd say it all the time. When his hair started to grow, she was upset cause he was a boy and she couldn't let it grow long and brush it. When Joey grew out of stuffed toys, and wanted fire trucks, and action figures she said she wanted a little girl to play with dolls, and her old toys."

"She still has her old toys?"

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, she does, her favourite ones, anyway. She said she had kept them for her own kids, and she couldn't wait to have a daughter."

Bobby smiled. "That sounds like Kim, that's for sure. She never throws anything out."

Jimmy laughed. "Yeah, that's Kim all right. I screwed that up on her, but I'm sure that you can fix it."

Bobby shook his head. "I really don't know." He needed to change the subject. "When's Catherine supposed to be coming by with Joey?"

"She said once he's done school, and she gets him supper she'll bring him over, and then I can take him to my place whenever he gets tired."

"That makes sense I wonder if he'll want to see her if she's up while he's here."

"I hope so, it'll make him a lot easier to deal with if he knows that she's gonna be all right."

"Yeah."

Jimmy and Bobby kept talking about Joey, just sharing different stories, to try and pass the time until they got news about her.

Both of them were terrified that they would get bad news at any moment, but sharing stories about Joey seemed to keep their minds off the bad stuff.

xxxx

Later that day Bosco and Faith were riding around between calls. Bosco had noticed his partner was a million miles away. She had spent most of the shift so far staring out the window.

He thought for a moment about what could possibly cause her distant mood.

It didn't take him long to remember what was going on that might make his partner half a world away.

"Isn't Kim's operation today?" Bosco asked her.

Faith nodded. "Yeah."

"Why didn't you take the day off?"

"What would be the point of sitting at the hospital, or at home all day doing nothing but worrying?"

He shrugged. "It's just that-"

"I know, I'm not all here right now, and I'm sorry At least this way I can put it out of my mind for a little bit and focus on working."

Bosco nodded. "I understand. Think she'll make it through?"

"Yeah, I think she's going to be fine in time."

"How long of a recovery does she?"

"About a week in the hospital, a couple months of taking it easy. But she's not going back to work for another six months just to be safe."

"That makes sense, you wouldn't want to go back to early after that kind of surgery."

"Yeah, I know."

"Are you going to be stopping by to see her later?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah probably."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"Thanks, Bos, but I think I'll be able to handle it alone."

He nodded. "All right, just thought I'd offer."

"I do appreciate it, thank you, honestly."

"I just figured that that's something that friends do for each other."

She smiled at him. "Yeah, it is. I really do appreciate it Bosco. Do you think I should bring her something when I visit her?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know a book or something."

"It wouldn't be a bad idea."

"Got any suggestions?"

"The Kama Sutra?" Bosco joked.

Faith shook her head. "Just when I thought you were getting serious on me!"

"Never count on me staying serious."

"I'm learning that now. Got any real ideas on what to get Kim?"

He smiled at her. "Maybe one of those girly mystery novels, that have a bit of a romance plot, but it's more about the mystery."

"How do you know about those?"

"I've been in a lot of women's rooms, I sometimes take a peak at the books on their bedside tables. Those ones seem to very popular."

Faith nodded. "That's actually not a bad idea, thanks Bos."

"So we'll stop at a bookstore on lunch so you can get one."

"Good."

Faith was beginning to like this new side of Bosco, there were times where he'd still be his same old self, but there were times where he was just being a really nice guy. He had been so supportive of her through everything, she was still surprised.

She was actually starting to want to try to make excuses to spend time with him outside of work. She was trying not to let her think that anything was developing between them because she wasn't ready for that.

If she was going to try anything with Bosco she wanted to try something serious. She didn't want to be another one of his casual flings, and before she went for it she had know that that was not what she'd end up being.

"Earth to Faith," said Bosco.

"Huh, what?" she asked.

"Am I still taking both of the kids next week?" he asked.

"Yeah, if you want to."

"I was thinking about taking them to the wave pool, would you like to come too?"

"Trust me you don't wanna see me in a bathing suit."

Bosco smiled at her, an sly kind of seductive which Bosco reserved only for very special women.. "I've seen you in your birthday suit, I'm sure I'll be quiet pleased by what I see in a bathing suit."

She shook her head. "I'll think about it, Bos."

"Good cause Charlie really wants you to go with us sometimes."

Faith shook her head. "That's cause those kids are plotting to get you as their new daddy."

"Really?"

"They told me that I should marry you the first time you took them out."

Bosco laughed. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

"I'm not anywhere near ready to be married again."

He nodded. "Fair enough."

Bosco could hardly believe that her kids would actually want them as their mother's new husband. He actually felt quiet proud of himself. Faith meanwhile was kicking herself for telling him what she had just told him.

She didn't really want him to know that she nor the kids liked the idea of just having him as her partner at work. Although Bosco had been very supportive through everything she knew she still had to cautious around him.

XX

Jimmy and Bobby were still in the waiting room, when a nurse came in. They two of them looked up, their hearts just about jumping out of their respective chests.

"Mr. Caffey, Mr. Doherty," she said.

"Yeah?" they both said at the same time.

"Miss Zambrano is out of surgery, and in her room now. One of you can see her now, if you'd like."

"I'll go tell everyone that's she's out of surgery," Jimmy said, getting up.

Bobby followed the nurse to Kim's room. It was a semi-private room but there wasn't anyone in the second bed. As soon as Bobby saw her his heart skipped a beat.

Although it was hard to see her attached to the catheter, and the tube in her nose, as well as the other standard post operative tubes and wires; he just was glad to see her alive.

"She must have fallen asleep again," said the nurse.

"That's all right. Will she be able to talk when she wakes up?"

"She may find it difficult at first because of some of the equipment she's hooked up to, but yes, she should be able to speak."

The nurse left, and for the first time since the whole ordeal had started he began to cry. Seeing her made it all too real for him. Before it had all seemed abstract, but now that she was laying in the hospital bed it was really real.

He went over, brought a chair as close as he could to the bed, and took her hand. She didn't respond to him, but he didn't care, he was just glad to be able to be near her again. Just hearing her breathe helped him to calm down.

He finally realized that he could have lost her, and he still could even though the surgery seemed to be a success. He sat with her for a long moment, just staring at her, wondering what he would have done had she not pulled through.

He realized he probably would have had a heard time getting past it if something had happened to her. He stood up, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He then carefully ran his hand through her hair.

"Bobby?" she rasped, coughing a little until she realized what was going down her throat.

"Yeah, I'm right here, Kim," he replied.

She half smiled at him. "I'm alive?"

He smiled. "Yes, you are."

"Where's Joey?"

"He's not here yet, your mother's gonna be by soon, I'm sure"

"I'm hungry."

"I'm sure you are, but I think it's at least a few more days before they're gonna give you solid food, from what I read."

"Yeah."

He caressed her temple. "How about you just get your rest? At least when you're sleeping you're not as uncomfortable."

"Mm," she sighed before falling asleep.

XX

When Jimmy arrived at the firehouse, everyone was getting ready for supper. He was glad that they weren't on a run. He went inside, and everyone went quiet. They all looked at Jimmy patiently awaiting his news.

"She's out of surgery," Jimmy announced.

"That's great!" said Doc. "Can we check on her while we're there?"

"Yeah, she's just not allowed to have more then two visitors at once, though."

"Good. Is she up yet?"

Jimmy's phone rang, he answered it when he realized that it was Bobby calling.

"Just thought I'd tell you she was up for a few minutes just now," Bobby told him.

"Good, how is she?"

"Hungry."

Jimmy laughed. "That's m- our Kimmy for you."

"Yeah, I should go, though. She's gone back to sleep and I don't want to wake her."

"All right. I'll see you when I get back."

"Yeah, later."

Jimmy put down the phone. Everyone was looking at him waiting for the new news he might have.

"Well?" asked Lombardo, after what seemed like forever.

"She was up for a few minutes and she said she was hungry."

Everyone burst into laughter, finally feeling like she would actually be all right. Jimmy was glad that she was all right, but he was a little upset that he could not have been the one to be there when she woke up.

"You wanna eat?" DK asked.

"Nieto's not cooking?" Jimmy asked.

"Nope."

"Sure, why not? It's not like Kim'll wanna see this mug when she wakes up."

Walsh laughed. "Yeah, she woke up to it too many times already."

"And probably has nightmares, about it" added Lombardo.

Everyone in the firehouse roared with laughter. Before long they had all sat down to eat. It seemed a lot calmer around the station the it had been the last few days now that everyone knew Kim's surgery was over.

They all knew that all the danger wasn't over, but they were glad to know she had made it through the hardest part.

xxxx

Kim was surprised when her mother came in, alone. She knew that she had brought Joey with her, and she really wanted to see her son.

"I thought you were bringing Joey?" she asked.

"He's in the hall with Bobby, he's afraid to come in," Catherine explained.

"Oh, I really want to see him."

"I'm sure he'll find his nerve as soon as Jimmy comes back."

Kim smiled. "Yeah, probably."

"He doesn't like to look like he's not brave around Jimmy. You sure you want Jimmy to take him while you're in the hospital?"

Kim nodded. "He is Joey's father."

"I know, but still."

"Bobby's gonna be here, it's best for everyone."

Catherine nodded. "I guess so."

"Look, I know Jimmy's made some mistakes in the past, but he's been really supportive through this, and he should be the one taking care of Joey."

"I know, it's just."

"I know you're gonna miss him, but you knew the day would come when Jimmy grew up and you might see a little less of Joey."

"All right, all right. So how are you feeling?"

Kim smiled. "I'm so hungry."

Catherine laughed. "How long before you're allowed solid foods?"

"They said about two or three days."

"That long?"

Kim nodded. "At least a few more days, I can't get this tube out of my nose till I have a bowel movement, then I can have liquids and if I can handle that then they'll give me some real food."

"Yikes, and they wonder why weight loss is such a problem getting this kind of cancer."

The door squeaked open and nurse came inside. She checked all Kim's vital signs, which all seemed good.

"You're doing well, Miss Zambrano," said the nurse.

"Call me Kim, please" she replied.

"I think you have a couple of visitors waiting in the hallway."

Kim nodded. "Thanks."

"How about I go see if it's Jimmy, and if it is I'll send him in with Joey?" Catherine suggested.

"Thank you, Mom," said Kim.

The nurse charted a few things then left the room, as Joey and Jimmy entered.

"Hi," said Jimmy.

"Hi," said Kim.

"Are you okay now?" Joey asked.

"Almost."

"What's everything for?"

Kim smiled at her son. "One of them is just to make sure that my heart is beating like it should. There's another one here that helps me to pee."

"Eww! That's gross." He said scrunching up his nose at the idea.

"Yeah, and then the thing in my nose it to keep my stomach empty."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little, but I gotta keep in it another few days.'"

"A few days?" asked Jimmy.

"Yeah, at least two, maybe three." Kim explained.. "Jimmy could you lift Joey up so I can give him a kiss please?"

Jimmy nodded, and carefully lifted Joey up, and to her face. Kim gave him a kiss on the cheek. Joey immediately rubbed his face after. She smiled at him, and Jimmy put Joey down.

"Can I sit on the bed with you, Mommy?" he asked.

"Not just yet."

"How are you feeling?" Jimmy asked her.

"Sore, but they've got some good drugs here though."

He laughed. "Usually hospitals have some of the best stuff."

"Does it feel funny?" Joey asked.

"Does what feel funny?" asked Kim.

"Not having all of your tummy, does it feel funny?'

Kim smiled. "Right now I'm still a little too sore to really know what it feels like, honey."

"Was it scary?"

"Yeah, it was."

"When are you gonna be home?"

"Hopefully in a week. But aren't you excited about staying with Daddy?"

"Yeah, I am, but you need me to help take care of you."

She smiled, at him. "Until we're both at home, the nurses and Bobby are gonna do that. But when we get home, then you can help as much as you want."

He nodded, smiling. "Okay."

Jimmy could tell that Kim was getting tired, but she didn't want to say anything.

"Hey, Joey," he said. "Your mom needs to get some sleep, how about we go downstairs and get some hot chocolate?"

"Okay!" he exclaimed.

"Thanks, Jimmy," Kim said.

"Any time, see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, love you Joey."

"Love you, Mom," Joey said reluctantly.

Jimmy then took his son's hand, and the two of them left the room. As Kim was falling asleep she heard the door open, and assumed that it was Bobby who had just come in to watch her sleep.

tbc...

end notes: ummm... yeah, so that's that... i saw on untold stories of the ER that you can acutally talk with a nasogatric tube in your mouth, so that works... meh i know i'm missing some of the juice of the surgery, but i think this works, tell me what you think thnx everyone hope you like it


	21. 21

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust  
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: wow this after the surgery stuff is taking up a wee bit more then i thought it would... hehe... anyway there's some fun stuff in here, some bosco/faith stuff, and some jimmy/joey bonding, hope you dig it, tell me if you do pls?

When Faith got off shift she asked Bosco if he could drive her to the hospital. When they pulled up, she began to get nervous.

"Would you mind just coming up with me?" Faith asked.

"I wouldn't mind at all," Bosco assured her.

Faith picked up the gift bag with the books she had picked up for her friend, and the two of them entered the hospital. When they got to the floor they found a nurse to direct them to Kim's room.

"Just one thing, though, only one of you can go in right now. She's only supposed to have two visitors at the time, and her fiancé is staying the night," the nurse told them.

"All right, thank you," said Faith.

The nurse went into another room, as Bosco went into the waiting room, to wait to drive his partner home.

"Bos, I can take a cab," she assured him.

"No, I'll drive you home, it's not a big deal," he assured her. "Take as long as you want."

Kim went into the room, half expecting Kim to be asleep.

"Shh," she heard Kim say.

"All right," whispered Faith. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, and a lot hungry."

Faith smiled. "The nurse says he's staying the night?"

"Yeah, he was asleep when I woke up, and I know that I won't be able to get him to go home. So asked if he could stay."

Faith nodded. "Oh, I got you a little something."

"You didn't have to."

Faith handed her the gift bag. Kim opened it, and seemed to be happy with the books she found inside.

"Thank you, this is one of my favourite authors," Kim told her.

"No problem, I'm glad you like it, I figured you might have some time to read. Actually Bosco was the one who suggested the genre."

"Really?"

"After he said I should get you the Kama Sutra."

Kim laughed a little then winced. "Ouch, that hurts."

"Sorry."

"No big deal."

"How's your son?"

"He's fine, he was a little overwhelmed when he saw me, but he's quiet excited about staying at Jimmy's for a few week."

"I'd imagine so. What's that thing in your nose for?"

"It keeps my stomach empty." Kim explained.

"It looks really uncomfortable."

"It is, but I need to keep in for at least another day."

"I guess it's better then the alternative."

"Yeah. How are you getting home?" Kim asked a little worried.

"Bosco's in the waiting room, he said he'd give me a drive."

"Isn't he turning into the white knight?"

Faith laughed nervously. "I don't think so. This is Bosco we're talking about."

"He's helping you with this, and he's taking your kids once a week, he's trying to change."

Faith shook her head. "I'm not looking for anything right now, I told him so. He wants me to go with them next time he takes the kids."

"Where?"

"Swimming."

"The problem?"

"I don't want him to see me in a bathing suit."

"He's seen you naked, what's the big deal?"

Faith smiled. "I guess you're right, and I might actually have fun."

"Then go."

"I think I might. I'll come by tomorrow at some point, you probably need your rest."

"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Faith left the hospital room, to find Bosco. He was sitting in the waiting room reading a magazine.

"You're done?" he asked.

"Yeah, thank you for staying," she replied.

"What are friends for?"

She smiled. "I really appreciate it, Bos."

He nodded. "How about I get of here before any more nurses hit on me."

Faith laughed. "How many numbers did you get?"

"None, didn't want them."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm just not interested in that right now."

She smiled. "Oh?"

"Even if it was I'm too busy helping out my best friend."

"Really, thank you for everything." She said, following him out of the hospital.

They got to the car, and they both got in, and started toward her apartment.

"Kim liked the books you suggested," Faith told him.

"Oh, good, I thought it wasn't a bad choice. You never know if a person likes those really crappy romance novels, so it's better to go with those."

She laughed, "yeah."

"What did she think of my other suggestion?"

"She didn't like that idea quiet as much."

"I guess it's not the best recovering from surgery book either," he laughed.

"Not so much."

It was not long before they pulled up to Faith's apartment. Before she got out of the car, Bosco took her hand, then leaned toward her. His lips met hers in a gentle kiss. For a moment she relaxed into the kiss, and then pulled away.

"Bosco," whispered Faith. "I'm not ready for anything right now."

He looked away from her. "I'm sorry."

"It's not that I'm not interested, Bos, it's that- I'm just not ready for anything serious right now."

"It doesn't have to be serious."

She shook her head. "I don't want something casual with you, Bos. If I go for you, I want it to be something real."

He nodded. "I understand."

"Look, you're the only guy in my kids' life right now, I can't do anything to jeopardize that. If it was just me I'd see where things went, and deal with the aftermath, but I have to think about them too."

"As soon as you're ready just tell me, cause I'll wait."

She smiled at him. "Don't put your life on hold on account of me."

"I really care about you, and I want to prove to you, and myself that I can actually care about someone like this."

"Bos, it may take me a while to get over what happened with Fred."

He nodded. "As soon you think you're ready I'll be there for you."

She kissed him on the cheek. "As soon as I'm ready, you'll be the first one I'll call."

"Good night Faith."

"Good night, Bos, see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

She got out of the car, and walked up to her apartment. Everyone was already in bed when she got there. She went into the kids rooms and gave them each a kiss on the forehead, then went into her own room to think.

She wanted advise on what to do about Bosco, but she wasn't sure where to turn, since Kim was going to be in the hospital for another week. She guessed she would just have to keep it all inside until Kim was up to hearing it.

xxxx

The next day the doctor was checking Kim. Bobby was out in the hall, waiting till he was done.

"If you're up to, you can go for a walk up and down the hall with your fiancé," said the doctor.

"I think I'd like that," Kim replied.

"You're doing very well, but I think a few of the nurses are a little jealous of you."

"Why?"

"They keep seeing all the uniformed men coming to visit you, and they're very jealous that you're getting so much attention when you're engaged."

Kim smiled. "Maybe I shouldn't mention that I'm divorced from Jimmy."

The doctor laughed. "He's been very popular with the nurses."

"He always is. When do you think I'll be able to get the nasogastric tube out?"

"Hopefully tomorrow, everything seems to be going well, and hopefully by tomorrow your body will be ready, and we can also start you on some clear fluids."

"All right."

"I know it's uncomfortable, but at least you can talk and move around with it in."

"I know, I really shouldn't complain."

"You're doing very well, unless something unforeseen happens you should only have to be here the seven days, then you can home and relax there."

"Good."

"I'll go get your fiancé so you can go for your walk now."

"Thank you."

The doctor left for a moment, and returned with Bobby in toe. He showed Bobby what had to transported with her, the catheter, the IV drop, and to be careful with the nasogastric tube.

They carefully helped her up, and with his arm around her back, Kim and Bobby went for a slow, short walk down part of the way up the hallway.

"You know if you're not careful I'm gonna see your ass," Bobby whispered in her ear as they walked.

"It's not like you haven't seen it before," she reminded him.

He smiled. "True. So are you feeling all right?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"I'll tell you when I'm not. I can't wait until I can get this thing out of my nose."

"That's gotta be painful."

"It's certainly not pleasant."

She looked up and noticed two officers coming up the hallway. She knew that it was Bosco and Faith. She stopped walking when they caught up. She noticed Bosco try to peak around, to see what he could see until Faith smacked him playfully.

Kim gave her friend a puzzled, wanting to know what going on look, and without words Faith told her that she would fill her in on the details later.

"You're walking today!" Faith exclaimed.

"Yeah, the doctor said I could if Bobby helped me, and I jumped at the chance to get out of the bed."

"How are you feeling?" Bosco asked.

"I'm all right, in a bit of pain, but nothing that I can't handle with some pain killers."

"That's good to hear. I heard you liked the books?"

"Yeah, I did, I guess I should thank you too."

He nodded. "It was Faith's money, and she chose the author."

"We just wanted to check on you quickly while we were here," said Faith.

"I appreciate it, thanks."

Faith nodded. "But we should be getting back to work, I'll probably drop in again later."

"All right, sounds great."

Bosco and Faith left, leaving them alone again. Bobby could tell that Kim was getting tired so he helped her back to the room, and into bed. When she got comfortable in the bed, she fell asleep soon after.

xxxx

That night at Jimmy's he was woken up by Joey diving into his bed, terrified. For a moment Jimmy was confused, and then he remembered what was going.

"Hey what's wrong, Champ?" asked Jimmy.

"I had a nightmare, I wanna to talk to Mommy," Joey told his father.

"Can't I help?"

Joey started to cry. "I need talk to Mommy!"

"All right, all right, let me go get the number."

Jimmy got out of the bed, and went into the living room, knowing that he had the number and room extension somewhere. He was a little hurt that his son didn't want to talk to him about the nightmare, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

He found the number, and grabbed the cordless phone. He dialed the number, and the phone rang a few times, as he walked back to the bedroom.

"Hello," said a very groggy female voice.

"Hi, Kim?" asked Jimmy.

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"Joey had a nightmare and he wants to talk to you."

"All right, put him on."

Jimmy handed the phone to Joey, "here you go."

"Mommy?" asked Joey.

"Yeah, Baby, it's me what's the matter?" she asked.

He started to cry. "I had a nightmare."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"I can't in front of Daddy."

"Yes, you can."

"No, Mommy." He paused a moment. "All right he's gone."

"Now will you tell me about your dream?"

"I had a dream that there was a fire at the hospital."

"That's really scary."

"And you were there, and Daddy couldn't get you out in time."

"Oh, that's why you didn't want him to hear about it?"

"Yeah."

"It was just a bad dream, honey. I'm all right, and Bobby's right next to me. I promise that if you tell Daddy all about he won't be mad at you for having a nightmare like that."

He sniffled. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, he'll be more mad if you don't tell him about it."

"Oh."

"Yeah, Daddy can listen to your nightmares just as easily as I can, you don't have to come to me every time you have one."

"All right."

"I like that you do tell me about you nightmares, cause I know it helps you. But I think Daddy can handle it now, too."

"Okay, I'll go tell him right now."

"All right, love you Joey."

"Yeah, bye." He said hanging up the phone.

He went into the living room to find his father. Jimmy looked over.

"Did Mommy fix everything?" Jimmy asked.

"Yup, but she says you can listen to my nightmares too," Joey explained.

"I can, if you want me to."

Joey smiled. "Yeah, but you gottta promise you won't get mad."

"About a nightmare?"

"Promise?"

"I promise, come 'ere and sit down next to me, and tell me all about it."

Joey jumped onto the couch, and curled up next to his father. Jimmy had never remembered being very close with his family, but Joey was still a little love bug, and his heart melted every time Joey did something like that.

"So, I had this dream that Mommy was in the hospital, and then there was a fire. It was a really bad fire, and she was stuck in the hospital. And you and everyone from your work went to the fire. But they couldn't get her out! It was so scary, cause I don't want Mommy to die and it was so real. And I thought that you'd be mad if I told you about it cause I know you're a good fireman."

Jimmy nodded. "That is a pretty scary dream, and even the best firemen can't save everyone sometimes, you know that."

Joey nodded. "I guess."

"And don't tell anyone, Champ, but sometimes I have bad dreams about some of the fires I've been in."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so don't be afraid to tell me about those nightmares, I want to hear about them."

Joey smiled. "All right."

"What does Mommy do when you have a nightmare?"

"After I tell her about it, she'll tuck me back in and read me another story, so that I'm not thinking about the same thing when I go to sleep."

Jimmy nodded. "All right. Then that's what I'll do."

"All right!"

"How about you go get one of your books, and I'll meet you in your room."

Jimmy put the phone back on the cradle, then he went into Joey's room to tuck him in. Joey handed him a book.

"How does Mommy do this?" he asked.

Joey shrugged. "She sometimes gets into bed with me."

Jimmy got into bed with his son, and began reading him his book. Before long he realized that Joey had fallen asleep, and there was nowhere he could go. He carefully moved to put the book down, and he too soon fell asleep. He had never realized before how great it was to spend time with his little boy. That night was one of the happiest night of his life since it was one of the times he felt closest to his son. Now he understood why Kim had done everything she had ever done for the child.

XX

Meanwhile, at the hospital Kim was worried about Joey all of a sudden. She knew, logically that Jimmy knew what to do, but a part of her still worried that he'd do something wrong.

"Bobby," she whispered, hoping he'd be up. "Hey Bobby!"

"Mm, what?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"You awake?"

"I am now, what's wrong?"

"Jimmy just called."

"Is Joey all right?"

"Yeah, he is, he had a nightmare."

"And?"

Kim sighed. "He had a nightmare."

"Jimmy can handle a simple nightmare I'm sure."

"I hope so."

"If you didn't think he could handle something as simple as that you would never have agreed to let Joey stay with him."

"I know."

Bobby stood up, and took her hand. "It's going to be fine. Joey needs his father to play an active role in his life."

"I know."

"Try to relax, it's going to be just fine. Before long you'll have Joey safe with you, and all will be well again."

She smiled at him. "I know that, but-"

"I know, I know, It's a mother thing." He ran his hand through her hair. "Just relax, and get some sleep all right?"

"Bobby?"

"Yeah, Kim?"

"Have I told you recently that I love?"

He smiled at her. "No, you haven't mentioned that recently."

"In that case then, I love you."

"Kim you know what?"

"What?"

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead.

"You know this whole thing would have been a lot easier had I just been pregnant."

Bobby laughed. "Yeah, but that's not the card we were given."

"Yeah. Do you still want to have kids someday?"

"Yeah, once you're better and you're up to it, you know I want kids."

"I know, I just thought that maybe you'd changed your mind."

"I think it'd be best if we waited to actually try to have one until you've been in remission for five years. But if it happens sooner then it was meant to be."

"I like that idea."

He began to caress her temple. "Now go back to sleep."

"You know I can hardly keep my eyes open when you do that." Her voice got slower and nearly trailed off at the end.

"I know, that's why I do it," he whispered, brushing his lips against her cheek lightly when he finished talking.

It was not long before she had fallen asleep. Bobby curled back up on the chair, and he took a while longer to fall asleep. He knew that he'd be more comfortable at him, but he wanted to be close to her.

Part of him was still scared that he would lose her again, and he wanted her as close to him as he could possibly have her, to make sure that nothing happened to her.

He logically in a couple of days he would have to return to work, and that he would not be able by her side so much anymore. He loved the woman who was laying in the hospital bed, and he would do anything to keep her close by.

He knew that he would not know what to do if he ever lost her, and he had to make sure that never happened. The hardest part was over, the rest was just a waiting game, and he somehow knew that everything was going to be just fine.

tbc...

end notes: i thougth some joey/jimmy bonding would be cute, and a nice little break from the drama too, i just have to tie up some things, and then i'm gonna cop out and skip ahead to kim going back to work, i just can't think of things taht won't be redundant, soooo... hehe i have some cool stuff on deck for kim's return so stay tuned!


	22. 22

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: kim goes home, i have some fun stuff 'round the bend so stayed tuned, reviews make me very very happy so that i know people are reading and enjoying and i'm not doing this for myself so pls be so kind? 

It had been a week since Kim's surgery and she was finally allowed to go home. She had been really excited, and couldn't wait to get back to her apartment. She hated hospitals and hated that she had had to stay as long as she had.

She felt like a child waiting for Christmas the entire she was in the hospital. She hated hospitals, and she just wanted to be home with her fiancé and her son for a little while.

The incision scar was still a little tender when she moved certain ways, so Bobby was careful to stay as close to her as possible as they went up to her apartment. He unlocked the door, and let her in.

She was not surprised to see Jimmy and Joey sitting in the living room waiting for her. She went into the living room, and sat down on the couch. Joey got up and gave his mother a hug. She smiled at him, wanting to pick him up, but knowing that she couldn't.

"I missed you," he told her.

"I missed you too," she assured him, kissing him on the forehead.

He had not worked up the courage to go back to the hospital again, so they had only talked on the phone for the last little while. She was glad to be able to hug him, and have him home with her too.

"How are you feeling?" Jimmy asked her, getting up and giving her a hug.

Even though she was no longer with Jimmy she still felt so comfortable in his arms. She enjoyed Bobby's arms more, but Jimmy brought a different set of familiar feelings to wash over her.

"I'm not feeling too bad right now, I'm still a little tender. But I'm just glad to be at home, rather then at the hospital," Kim explained.

"That's great, anyway, I'll leave you three alone, you probably don't want me crashing your welcome home shindig."

Kim laughed. "You can stay if you want to."

"It's all right, really, I was just keeping an eye on Joey till you got here. I have some stuff to do."

She nodded, "all right. Thank you for everything Jimmy, I really appreciate it."

He smiled at her. "No problem Kim, if Joey gets to be too much you can always send him over."

"All right, thank you so much Jimmy."

He nodded, and then left the apartment. He always felt a little out of place when Kim and Bobby were together. As much as he wanted to keep spending time with Joey he knew that she needed Bobby not him.

After his first hug with Kim he knew he had to stop touching her. He was still too in love with her to be able to pretend to be that close. He needed to learn how to deal with their past, and be just her friend.

While he had her wrapped in his arms he wanted nothing more then to kiss her. Part of it was because he was so glad that she was alive. But he knew that he had lost her. He knew that she was happy, and would probably be happier with Bobby.

He knew he had to forget her, and that's why he decided it would be best to leave right away. He knew he just had to let the past go, but it was hard.

Meanwhile in her apartment Kim was a little surprised by his quick goodbye. She didn't dwell on it, she was just happy to be home. She went to make herself comfortable on the couch. It felt good to relax at home.

"How about I make us some supper?" Bobby offered.

"That sounds great," Kim replied.

"What do you want?"

She shrugged. "I don't know Bobby, I think chicken would be good."

"All right, sounds great."

"What else are we having?" Joey asked.

"I'm gonna make you some fries," Bobby told him. "Unless you want mashed potatoes like me and your mom are gonna have."

"I'd like fries better."

"I thought so."

Bobby went into the kitchen and started to prepare supper for the three of them.

"Can you ever eat fries again?" Joey asked his mother.

"Probably, the doctors just want me to try a lot of other things first."

"Oh, are you allowed chocolate?"

"Not yet, honey."

"Then I hope I don't catch cancer cause I don't wanna not be able to eat chocolate ever."

She smiled at him. "You can't catch cancer, honey, I told you that already."

"Oh, yeah, but I hope I never get it."

"I hope you don't either, but you've got a long time before you have to worry."

"So what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, now that you're not at the hospital, what happens?"

"I'm not going to be working for another few months, and in that time I just have to get myself better. I have to make sure that my scar is healed, and learn what I can and can't eat. Every few months I have to go to the doctor so he can take a picture of my stomach."

"Oh all right. You think one day they'll find a baby in there sometime?"

Kim smiled at him. "Not soon, but one day, maybe. Why are you so interested in babies?"

"Cause I want a brother or sister to play with."

"Even if I had a baby it would be a little while before you could play with him or her."

"I know, it's just that all my friends have them, and I want one too."

She smiled at him. "One day I promise you'll have a little brother or a little sister."

"Good."

"Look, how about you go pick a movie and we'll watch it until supper is ready?"

"All right!" he exclaimed.

He scurried off the couch, and went through his movies, and put one into the machine, and hit play. He then went back to sit next to her. They silently started watching the movie together.

Kim was just glad to be able to be close to her son again, she had been so worried that she might lose him. While she knew that she still could, she felt a lot more at ease. While being sick she had realized just how important he was to her, and had vowed to spend more time with him upon getting better.

She loved him so much, and she wanted to treasure every moment she had with him from then until her time came to leave. She just hoped that he time would not come for a good long time.

Joey, who had become an even bigger snuggle bug since she was sick curled up next to his mother. He laid his head on her shoulder as the movie started. She was surprised with his choice, he hadn't wanted to watch Snow White for a few years now. She figured he had chosen that movie because he knew she liked it.

"Joey, you know you didn't have to pick a movie that I liked," she told him.

"When I'm sick I getta watch my favourite movies. So now that your sick I'm gonna let you watch your favourite ones."

She smiled at him, then kissed him on the forehead. He was a damn good kid when he wanted to, she thought to herself. She loved him so much, and was just glad to be spending more time with him.

XX

Faith, Bosco and the kids were just pulling into the parking lot of the indoor recreation centre that had the wave pool. Emily and Charlie seemed very excited about this activity. With every moment Faith was getting more and more nervous about the whole idea.

Like any woman who had had kids she hated to get into a bathing suit. She knew that her work kept her in better shape then most women with children, but she was still very self conscience.

The four entered the building, and Faith noticed there was an area with a big window, and lots of tables looking at the pool There were also a number of vending machines, and an area to pay to use the pool and other facilites.

There were quiet a few women in there watching their kids and waving when at them on through the glass. Faith looked at them, and thought it might be a better idea to join the strangers, then actually go through with her partner and family.

"You know what?" Faith asked. "I'll just stay out here."

"No! Mom! You can't be a bum! You have to go in with us!" Charlie protested.

"Yeah Mom!" Emily agreed. "It won't be as much fun without you ple-ase?"

"I don't know about this, guys," Faith tried to reason.

"But you'll have so much fun once you get in there!" Charlie told him.

"Yeah, Mom, you just gotta come in too."

"Yeah, Mom," Bosco piped in. "Wouldn't be the same without you."

"You do not have a vote," Faith snapped at her partner, she couldn't believe he had actually called her Mom.

"Come on, Faith, it'll be fun, I promise."

She laughed, not really trusting Bosco. "Fine, only cause I don't want to hear you guys complaining about my being a spoiled sport the entire way home," Faith muttered. "And I really don't want you to hear it at work from now till hell freezes over, Bos."

Bosco paid for everyone, and wouldn't even listen to Faith as she told him that he really didn't have to pay. Then the group split in two, to go to the appropriate change rooms.

When Faith and Emily emerged from the change rooms Bosco and Charlie were already waiting. The two kids looked eager to hit the water.

"Go on, but don't forget, no running," Faith told the kids.

She didn't know why she still reminded them, they had not tried that since they were very young. Not to mention the place was staffed with more then enough life guards, and there the words "no running" were painted on the walls in many places.

"We know!" the both almost chanted, before, walking at a hurried pace toward the pool.

The pool was already churning with artificial waves. Faith had to admit it did look fun. She glanced over at the kids who had already gotten a couple of foam boogie boards, and were in the water over their, but not too far in. She knew they were waiting for her or Bosco to get in before going even further toward the bigger waves.

"You look amazing," Bosco told his partner, admiring her black one piece bathing suit.

"I probably look like a whale," she replied.

"You look really good."

"I must say I'm glad you're in swimming trunks not a Speedo." Faith laughed.

She had actually been very surprised to find him in a pair of swim trunks when she got out of the changing room. They were dark blue, were longer then she thought they'd be, going to just above his knees. She was just glad they were a normal colour or he'd have looked quiet goofy.

She noticed many of the women in the area staring at her, as they spoke. She even noticed a couple of them giving her evil glares as they passed her.

"Come on I'm sure you've fantasized about me in a Speedo," Bosco joked.

Faith shook her head. "No man looks attractive in a Speedo."

Bosco laughed. "Fair enough."

"I think it had more to do with keeping little Bosco hidden when standing at attention."

Bosco's almost had to pick his jaw up off the ground. He couldn't believe what he had just heard his partner say. She was right, but it was only because he knew how he'd react to his partner in her swimsuit and he didn't want to have to explain THAT to her kids.

"Officer Yokas, I'm not sure I like your insinuation," Bosco laughed, nervously.

"Do you see all the women running around here in barely legal bikini's?" Faith muttered. "Half of whom are checking you out."

"I'm not interested in any of them. I'm more interested in the woman in the black swimsuit standing in front of me, who is thankfully, unarmed."

She shook her head. "You're too much sometimes, you know that Bos?"

He smiled at her. "How about we hit the water? If we stand here much longer your kids are gonna drag us both in."

Bosco knew he had to change the subject and get himself out of the hot seat. The two of them walked over to the pool, and then swam to the kids. Who were glad to see them so they could go a little closer, where the bigger waves were.

Faith had planned to stay a little while in the big pool, then make her way to either a hot tub or a sauna, but was really enjoying herself with Bosco and the kids. They ended up spending the whole few hours together laughing and splashing around in the pool.

Fait was really enjoying herself, and felt all of her worries disappear as she played in the pool with her kids. It had been a long while since she had had so much fun, and was glad that she had not decided to just sit outside.

She even noticed a couple of the younger looking guys checking her out, which made her feel amazing about herself.

XX

At Kim's Bobby was clearing the dishes from supper. Kim went to stand up.

"Stay put, I'll clean up too," Bobby assured Kim.

"Bobby, let me help," Kim protested.

"No, Kim you're supposed to take it easy," Bobby reminded her.

"The doctor said I could go back to doing regular activities as soon as I felt comfortable doing them. I somehow think I'm up to cleaning and drying a few dishes."

"Kim!" he warned.

"I'm not a china doll who's going to break. I'm just recovering from surgery. If I feel like I'm over my head I'll tell you, I promise."

He shrugged. "Could you just humor me and take it easy for tonight? Tomorrow you can do what you want while I'm at work."

She shrugged. "Bobby, come on."

"Please, Kim?"

"Fine, fine."

He kissed her lightly on the cheek, and she went into the living room to sit down and continue watching the movie she had started to watch earlier with Joey.

Before too long Bobby had also joined them, only catching the end of the movie.

Kim carefully curled up to him. She had missed being close to him while she was in the hospital. He kissed her forehead, and she sighed in response.

"I missed this," she told him.

"I missed this too," he assured her.

Before too long she had fallen asleep. Her current diet didn't have nearly enough in it for her to be able to keep her strength up. She was glad to finally be able to sleep peacefully with Bobby nearby.

The movie ended and Joey looked over to see what they were going to do next he. He was a little surprised to see his mother curled up, next to Bobby.

"Is Mommy all right?" Joey asked.

"For right now she is, she's just tired," Bobby explained.

"Why?"

"Cause you get a lot of your energy from the food that you eat, and she can't eat a lot of stuff just yet."

"Oh."

"Yeah, like she can't have sugar right now, and that gives you lots of energy."

"Is that why I'm not allowed to have a lot of sugar?"

"Yeah, cause if you have too much sugar then you have too much energy."

Joey laughed. "Can I watch another movie?"

"Yeah, sure I think that's a good idea. It's still a while before bedtime, but you could you get into your jammies before you put it on?"

"Kay," Bobby, he then scampered into his room.

When Joey came out of his bedroom he wearing a set of matching pants and a long sleeved top, with fire trucks all over them. Joey went and changed the movie, and he sat down next to Bobby to watch this one.

XX

Bosco and Charlie were waiting for Faith and Emily to come out of the change room.

"Bosco, I'm thirsty," Charlie complained.

"How about you get yourself a juice from the vending machine over there? Actually, while you're at it get one for Emily too," Bosco told the boy.

"Okay!"

Bosco handed Charlie someone money, and watched as he went over to the vending machine. He knew better then to take his eyes off the child for even a moment. There weren't many people there, but he knew that things could still happen.

"It's nice to see a father taking interest in his son," a female voice said from behind him.

"He's not my son," Bosco replied, glancing back to see who was talking to him.

She was a pretty good looking woman, about his age. She had long blonde hair that was pulled back in a French braid. She was wearing a tube top, and tight fitting jeans.

"He's not?" she asked.

"No, he's my friend's son, she's going through a pretty rough divorce, and I offered to take her kids every once in a while."

"That's so sweet."

Bosco smiled. "Enough to give you a toothache."

"I don't normally do this, but my name is Ana, here's my card, call me sometime, it's always nice to be able to talk to a good guy."

Bosco took the card just to be polite. "I work crazy hours, but I'll trying and give you a call sometime. The name's Bosco by the way."

She smiled. "Bosco?"

"It's what everyone calls me."

Charlie came back with two cans of juice, one in each handed. He handed one to Bosco to hold for his sister, and opened the other one and started to drink it. The woman left, and Bosco put the card in his pocket.

"Who was that?" Charlie asked.

"Don't know," Bosco replied. "Do you know what's taking your mother and sister so long?"

"Have you seen Em's hair?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"If Mom thinks it's cold out she'll make sure it's almost dried under the dryer before she'll let her leave the change room."

"It's not even that cold out."

"You know Moms."

Bosco laughed. "That's true. How about we sit down and wait over there?"

Charlie followed Bosco to one of the tables, and the two sat down across from each other.

"Did you have fun today?" Bosco asked.

"Yeah," Charlie replied. "I'm happy that Mom came."

"Yeah, I was glad she decided to come too."

"Do you like my mom?"

Bosco smiled. "Yeah, I do, she's a good friend."

"No, I mean do you like like her?"

"I don't know Charlie."

"Cause I think it'd be cool if you were my step dad."

Bosco laughed, nervously. "I don't think your mom is really ready to find you a step dad just yet."

"I guess not. But she says that Dad's not coming back."

"She's probably right, but she's not gonna just go get married again just for doing it. What if it didn't work out?"

Charlie shrugged. "It'd work with you and my mom."

Bosco smiled. "It might, but right now that's not what she wants. She just wants us to all hang out every once in a while. Don't you like that?"

"Yeah, I do, but I still think you should marry my mom."

"I don't know. When I was your age the last thing I wanted was for my mom to get married again."

"Why not?"

Bosco shrugged. "I guess it was different, but I always wanted my dad to come back."

"I don't."

Bosco was surprised to hear that. He had always known the Charlie had been really close to his father. Fred had been the one who stayed home with them. He never thought the child was capable of not liking his father.

"Why not?" Bosco asked.

Charlie shrugged. "I don't want him to come back and leave again. If he just stays away then we don't have to worry about him going again."

Bosco, nodded, sadly. He felt so bad for the little boy. He should not have to feel like that at his age. He was just a good kid, he hadn't deserved the lesson in life he had received from his father.

He looked up, hoping to see Faith coming. As if on cue she and Emily, who's hair was even bigger then usual, we coming toward them. Faith was waling next to her, he cared about that woman, and he would do anything to make her happy.

He knew that to do that, right now he had to stay away from her, and be there for he kids. They came over and sat down at the table too. Bosco put the juice can in front of Emily.

"Thank you Bosco," said Emily, opening the can.

"Yeah, thanks, Bos," Faith repeated. "Sorry it took so long."

Bosco smiled at his partner. "No problem, Charlie explained to me about Emily's hair."

Emily laughed. "Yup, that's the one thing I hate about going swimming not in the summer."

"Did you have fun though?"

"Yeah! I did! We gotta do stuff like that more!"

"That's up to your mother."

"We'll see," said Faith.

"Did you have fun?" Charlie asked his mother.

"Yes, actually, I did."

She was actually a little surprised that she had had so much fun that day. She had only gone to get everyone to stop asking her to go. Even she had doubt at the beginning, she had had a lot of fun, and was hoping to be able to do it again.

For the first time since Fred had left she had been able to forget her problems for a few hours. It had felt so good. She was really starting to enjoy spending time with Bosco outside of work.

He had been acting so different since Fred had left, and she really liked it. There were not many people, let alone men out there who would offer to take a person's kids out every once in a while just to have some male bonding. They certainly didn't do it for nothing, and that was what Bosco was doing.

"How about we ask Mom if we can go for ice cream, before you go home?" Faith her Bosco tell Charlie.

"I heard that," Faith replied.

"So?" asked Charlie hopefully.

"I think that's a great idea!"

"Yay!" the three others exclaimed.

Bosco was so much like a child sometimes, Faith thought. Even still she was slowly starting to fall for his charms, and she was surprised she was not running away as a result. She cared about Bosco, but she just wasn't ready for anything more serious with him, and he was actually fine with that.

She would have never believed it before, but her partner was starting to grow up a little. She just hoped he would stick around long enough for her to be ready to pursue something with him.

tbc...

end notes; this was supposed to be the last one before a wee skip ahead, but kristen gave me a great idea, and i have to run with it, ireally hope you like this one, it's a little fluffy but i think we've all had a enough drama for a little bit anyway, enjoy, and pls review?


	23. 23

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: it's been a while since i've done a kim faith chapter, and i think they both needed some gal talk hehe, hope you like, all one part no annoying page breaks to figure out wtf they mean ;) 

It had been about a month since Kim had been home from the hospital, and she was already bored out of her mind. She was starting to feel much better, and getting used to what she could and could not eat.

The only thing that really gave away that she had had a major surgery was she could barely lift anything. Even lifting Joey was a little too much for her still. She actually missed going in to work every day.

As much as she loved spending extra time with her son, she would have been much happier if she could work. Some days when Bobby came home with stories of what he had done, she got upset because she wanted to be the person helping him.

He had told her all about the new girl, and she seemed nice from all the stories she had heard, but she was a little jealous. The two women hadn't even met, and she hoped it was not too long before they did.

Bobby kept telling her that he thought they'd get along very well. That day one of her real friends was going to be coming over. It was a Saturday, and Faith was going to be dropping by with the kids.

Joey had been very excited when he found out his friend Charlie was going to be coming by again. Joey had been really helpful since she was home. He was always asking Bobby how he could help, and helping her to clean up.

She had always known that he was a good kid when he wanted, but she never thought he'd be such a help to her.

When the phone rang as someone wanting to go up to the apartment, she saw Joey beeline for the phone. He buzzed the person up, and opened the door as soon as the person knocked.

Kim walked up behind him, not at all surprised to see Faith and the kids standing there. The two women smiled at each other. The three came in the house.

"Make yourself at home," Kim said to Emily and Faith.

"Thanks," said Faith.

"Got any new toys?" Charlie asked Joey.

"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed. "I got a new bigger fire truck and police car from my dad!"

"Oh cool!"

"Let's go to my room!"

The two boys ran toward Joey's room. Emily looked and felt out place. She didn't really want to play with the boys, but she knew that her mother wanted to talk with her friend, without any kids around.

"Emily, I've got a TV in my room, if you'd like to just go watch TV quietly in there," Kim told her with a smile.

"Oh, cool, thank you," said Emily before disappearing into the bedroom.

"Thanks," said Faith.

Kim sat down on the couch. "No problem."

Faith sat down opposite her on an arm chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Bored out of my mind."

"It's got to get pretty boring sitting around here yourself."

Kim laughed. "Yeah, since it's still a few more months before they want me back at work."

"Other then that you're feeling good though?"

"Yeah, I am starting to feel a lot better. I can't really lift anything too heavy, I can't even lift Joey."

"Oh, that's tough."

"Yeah, but I know that eventually I'll feel more comfortable lifting things, that's why I took so much time off."

"Makes sense. So what have you been doing around here?"

"Cleaning up mostly." Kim laughed. "Once I'm feeling up to it I might play with some of Bobby's exercise equipment."

Faith laughed. "That might work. How are things with you and Bobby?"

Kim shrugged. "Good, he's just treating me like I'm a piece of glass."

"That's kind of sweet."

"I know, but I'm feeling so much better, and when he's here he barely lets me lift a finger."

"Most women wouldn't complain about that."

Kim laughed. "I know you've got a point. What's going on with you and your partner?"

"Nothing!" Faith lied.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "You're full of it."

"Bosco and I are just friends."

"You're lying to me!"

"Look, even if something was happening between us, I'm not looking for anything serious right now."

"Maurice Boscorelli has learned the meaning of the word serious?"

Faith shrugged. "I don't know, really, look there's nothing there, so you're barking up the wrong tree."

"You're getting awfully defensive about this."

"Look, he's been so good with the kids, taking them out and doing stuff with them."

"And you're not enjoying the times you get to tag along?"

Faith shrugged. "That has nothing to do with him being there. It's great to be able to spend time with my kids, you should know that."

"Do you hear yourself?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're so falling for him, Faith."

"No I'm not!" Faith protested.

"Bullshit."

"I'm not, he's just been a good friend throughout this whole thing."

"Friend with benefits?" chuckled Kim.

"One time, and you'll never let me live it down."

"So that's the only time you two have done anything not so friendly?"

Faith looked away from her friend, unable to look her in the eye. She knew that her behaviour would give her away. She knew she'd be lying if she told Kim that nothing had changed between her and Bosco, she knew very well that a line had been crossed, and it happened after the night they had spent with each other.

"What's going on between the two of you?" Kim asked her friend.

Faith shook her head. "I really don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Just as it says, Kim, I really don't know."

Kim shook her head. "Well try and explain it to me."

"I don't, know how."

"Just start at the start."

Faith shrugged. "The kids are really enjoying him taking them out every week. It's really helped them a lot, and they don't have to go see the therapist as much anymore."

"That's great!"

"Yeah, it is, but if they keep it up I'll be seeing mine more."

"Why?"

"I think they're having too much fun with him. They keep asking me to marry Bosco so that he'll be their step father."

"Oh."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, it's unreal They just really care about him a lot, and I'm afraid that if I try anything too soon I'll push him out of my life, and worse yet theirs."

"So you do have feelings for him, then?"

"Yeah, I do. I really care about him, a lot. I don't even know what this feeling is but when I'm with him I just want to spent more time with him. But I know that I'm nowhere near being ready to date, let alone getting to a serious relationship right now."

"That's a problem."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, I mean I know that at some point, I think I want to try to have a relationship with Bosco, but I'm nowhere near ready for that."

"Does he know that?"

"Yeah, he does. I've told him so, but sometimes-" Faith stopped herself.

"Sometimes, what? You can't leave me hanging like that!"

"Sometimes we still get a little too close for comfort."

"As in?" Kim needed to know.

"Sometimes we'll kiss each other for a minute, before realizing that we're not supposed to."

Kim smiled at her friend. "You're falling in love with him."

Faith blushed. "No I'm not, he's Bosco, I can't be!"

"But you are."

"I thought it would be fun to just be single and crazy for a little while."

Kim laughed. "That doesn't really seem like you, at all."

Faith shrugged. "I don't know, I just thought. I'm not ready to be in love with anyone again."

Kim smiled at her. "You might not be completely ready for love just yet. But a part of you is already in love with him."

"I was hoping you'd tell me that I was crazy."

"I could lie to you if you want me to?"

"That probably wouldn't help. I do care about Bosco, I just don't think I could make it work right now."

Kim nodded. "That's understandable, as long as he knows, then it should be fine right?"

"Yeah, it should."

"How did you know things were right for you and Bobby?"

Kim laughed. "You don't, remember? When I was with him the first time I ran away after, it was only after you talked to me that I went back."

Faith laughed. "I know that, but at some point you had to know that you were doing this for yourself, and not to shut someone else up, right?"

Kim shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. It wasn't too long into that I knew it, I just didn't really want to admit it till I got sick."

"That long?"

"Yeah, I mean I knew I loved Bobby, for a long time, even before we got together. A part of me always wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, but it wasn't until I got sick that I knew for sure that that was really what I wanted.."

"Not when he moved in?"

Kim shrugged. "I knew I wanted to be with him for a while, and that I wanted him close. But when the doctor told me that I could die I realized that I had stop making excuses, and go to him, and tell him I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life, no matter how long that might be."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I mean I always thought that maybe I could see myself with him for a long time, and I'd even tell him so. But I wasn't sure until then, there was always something in the back of my head that told me to stay back cause I'd get hurt. Sometimes you just need something big to give you the push you really need."

Faith smiled. "I really care about, Bosco I'm just afraid that if I go into this too fast things will just end badly."

"That's understandable."

"He's the only positive male role model my kids have left, I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that. I never would have thought I'd see the day where Bosco was a positive male role model for my kids."

Kim laughed. "That surprises me too. But you'll know when you're ready to commit to him, and once you do don't fight it."

Faith smiled. "Thank you Kim."

"Wee-oo! Wee-oo! Wee-oo!" Joey and Charlie exclaimed as they went through the living room pushing the fire truck and police car they were playing with.

Kim and Faith smiled at the two boys, who disappeared back into Joey's bedroom again. Charlie was of course playing the police car, and Joey had the fire truck. The two women found it very cute that they played games like that.

Kim had thought that getting Joey those toys that size had been a bad idea, but she was glad that Jimmy had bought them. The two boys were having a lot of fun with them.

"I really hope he grows out of this fire truck, and fireman thing," Kim muttered.

"You don't want him to be a fireman like his daddy?" asked Faith.

"I don't want to have to worry about him running into burning buildings, and possibly not coming out. It was bad enough when I was married to a firefighter. I don't want my son to be one."

"I never really thought about it before, but I don't think I'd really want either my two to be cops either. I wouldn't want to have to see them in the hospital after they were hurt, or something."

Kim nodded. "Do you have the sudden urge to call your mother and tell her you love her?"

"A little bit."

"It's amazing how much getting sick changes things."

"What do you mean?"

Kim shrugged. "Since I've gotten sick I've just started seeing everything different. I'm closer with my mother, which is great. I'm talking to my sister, I never thought I'd be able to look at her again, but we're actually getting along again, and it's great to have her back in my life. I just take in all the time I have with Joey, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Faith smiled. "What would you do about my situation?"

"I wouldn't waste another minute, honestly. I would want to go for it and get the most of it, just in case."

Faith nodded. "I understand, really, but I'm just so afraid that if I try something then it'll change things between us."

"Of course it's going to change things between you two, that's the point. Also, things are already changing between you, how long do you really think you can keep fighting it?"

"I know that, I'm just not sure the good outweighs the bad just yet."

Kim nodded. "What are you so afraid of?"

Faith shrugged. "I'm afraid of him a little, but I'm more afraid of myself. I'm scared that I'll drive him away, just like with Fred."

"Faith, you can't honestly believe that what happened with Fred was your fault?"

"I don't know, Kim. I just think sometimes that if I had told him sooner, or something that he'd still be here, even just for his kids."

Kim took her friend's hand. "You had nothing to do with what Fred did, he did it because he was a drunk. Not because you were a bad wife."

"But I was-"

"How?"

"I worked all the time."

"You had to," Kim reminded her. "You had to work to keep a roof over your kids' heads, and food on the table, just like now. Maybe if he hadn't been drinking he could have gotten a job, and you wouldn't have felt the need to take any overtime."

"I guess you're right."

"No, Faith, I am right. I bet if you asked your kids, they probably don't blame you for this, either, they' blame Fred's drinking."

Faith nodded. "Logically, I know, but can I not wonder what if?"

Kim shrugged. " I really wish I knew."

"It's not only that that's stopping me with Bosco. I really don't think that I'm really over Fred just yet. I don't want to give him a part of me. I want to commit wholly to him once I decide he's who I really want."

"You said once."

"Once what?"

"You said once you're ready, not if you're ready."

Faith grinned. "I'm fairly certain I do want a relationship with him somewhere down the road. I just want to be single for a while before I jump into something serious again."

Kim laughed. "That's your choice, then."

"It is."

"But you really do light up when you mention him, it's hard to deny that you love him."

"I don't love him!"

Kim shook her head. "Now can you tell me that so that I'll believe you?"

Faith was just about to open her mouth to when Emily came out of her Kim's room.

"Do you think I could have something to drink?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, sure," Kim said, standing up.

She went into the kitchen, and pulled out a glass.

"What would you like?" Kim asked Emily.

"What kind of juice do you have?" Emily replied.

"Apple or grape."

"I'll have apple, please."

"Sure. Faith would you like anything?"

"If you've got coffee I'd love a cup."

Kim poured the glass of apple juice, Emily went over and took it, thanking her for the drink. She then went back into the bedroom to watch TV. Kim made a fresh pot of coffee. When it was ready she poured on mug for Faith, and then took a sports drink for herself, before going into the living room.

"You didn't have to make a whole pot just for me," Faith told her friend.

"It's all right, really," Kim assured her. "I like the smell of it."

"You can't have coffee?"

"No, I'm not sure my stomach is ready for it."

"What are you drinking?" Faith asked, noticing a bottled drink in her friend's hand.

Kim looked at the bottle. "It's a high calorie sports shake, with no sugar, it tastes pretty disgusting, actually, but it keeps my energy up."

"That just sounds disgusting."

Kim nodded. "The thing that worries me more is that it's supposed to be chocolate, and there's no sugar in it."

Faith laughed. "But if it helps you to feel better, right?"

"Yeah, exactly. The doctors think that I'll probably have to have at least one to get me through the day once I'm into a regular routine. I must say, it's a very crappy coffee replacement."

"I would imagine so."

Kim laughed. "But go figure this one out. I have to have this high calorie sports shake thing, but right now if I want something hot I have to have the light hot chocolate."

Faith laughed. "I guess it has to do with the sugar?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, I still find it funny thought. They give you funny looks when you by a case of these things, and tin of light instant hot chocolate mix."

"I would imagine so."

"Also they want me to snack most of the time, so also got bunch of different vegetables."

"You get to snack all the time and you're eating veggies?"

Kim laughed. "I also got popcorn, but I'm not supposed to have salty foods. And all the good snack foods have salt or sugar."

"I'd hate to have to do shopping for you."

"I know, I think that's the worst part about this whole thing. I have to really take note of what I'm eating, cause if I don't, I'm in trouble."

"That's crazy."

"I still have no idea how people who have this to lose weight can deal with all of the side effects, but I understand how it is that they can lose weight."

Faith laughed. "It's not the same thing is it?"

"Not exactly, because they don't remove anything with a gastric bypass surgery."

"True enough."

"I just don't understand why so many women want to be on a diet like this. It's ridiculous. If you eat to much, you get sick. If you eat the wrong things, you get sick, and if you don't eat enough you're tired."

"Sometimes it's their only option."

Kim nodded. "I know. I guess it's different when you chose to lose a part of your stomach."

"Yeah, probably."

Kim and Faith talked for quiet a while after, catching up, and just being glad to be able to spend time together. It had been pretty crazy since Kim had gotten sick, and both were glad to have a friend to lend an ear.

It seemed like to soon when Faith had to leave, but it was getting close to supper time, and Emily was getting bored. Joey wanted to Charlie to stay the night, and Kim promised that one day they could have a sleep over, but they had to plan it first.

Once they had left Kim started supper, for her and Joey. She decided to make chicken and vegetables. Joey was actually starting to try the vegetables that were always around, and was starting to even like some of them.

tbc...

end notes: all right so now for the timeline mini jump, i've got some cool stuff coming up so pls tell me if you're still digging this fic!


	24. 24

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: kim's going back to worry kermit the frog style yayy! hope you enjoy, oh and just wee little warning twbasketcase's reviews may have slight spoilers, i warned 'ya don't blame juicy news! 

Kim had finally gotten the all clear from her doctor to return to work. She was glad to finally be able to get out of the house and feel like she was doing something useful. Joey was off to school, and Bobby and Kim were sitting down having snack before they had to start they left that morning.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Bobby asked, as always, concerned.

He had become very protective of her since she had gotten sick. Even though she thought it was sweet of him, it was starting to get on her nerves. Sometimes she felt like a child again, because he didn't want her doing certain things.

As much as she liked the idea of him caring so much about her, sometimes it seemed a little much. She loved, him, and she knew that he was only doing what he was doing cause he loved her, but some days she just wanted him to trust that she would tell him when she wasn't feeling all right.

She nodded. "Yeah, I want to be back at work," she assured him.

"I'm just worried."

"I know, but I'll be fine. I'm ready to go back. I want to get back into the swing of things. I feel like a bum being at home all the time."

"All right, I understand, really. I just worry about." He kissed her lightly. "You know it's cause I love you, right?"

She smiled, at him, kissing him again. "Yes, and I love you back, but you have to trust me."

"I know. Do you have enough snacks and stuff for today?"

Kim smiled. "Yes, I think I'll be fine. I bought a few extra of those shakes, too. I should be fine. If by some chance I'm not fine, you're going to be right there next to me, right? So what is there to worry about?"

"Yeah, I know, but I'm still worry," Bobby replied.

"I know you do, and I like it, but you need to turn it down a notch. I think you're more worried about my going back to work then I am." She laughed. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself though."

He smiled at her. "I know, and I'll try to act a little more, casual about it."

She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I know what I can and can't do right now. You just have to trust me when I tell you that. I'm going to be fine going back to work."

He nodded. "I know." He kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She pulled away, smiling at him. He then pulled her back toward him, and kissed her again, deeper this time. For a moment she relaxed into the embrace, then she pulled away.

"How about we not get distracted?" she laughed. "I don't want to be late my first day back"

"All right."

They cleaned up their dishes, then started toward work. Kim was getting excited, she had actually missed working while she was off. They left the house earlier then usual, because she wanted to have time to chat with everyone before their shift started.

It didn't take long to get there. They entered the building together, she had missed going in there to start a shift. She felt like she was at her second home. She looked around to see who was there. Most of the of the guys were in the other room watching something on the TV.

"Welcome back," said Doc, coming into the room.

"Thanks, it's good to be back," Kim replied smiling.

"You're ready for you first shift back?"

"Yeah, more then ready."

"And you're sure you're up for it?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure I'm ready to be back."

"All right, come talk to me if you get overwhelmed, all right?"

She nodded. "I will. I'm going to go get changed."

Bobby followed Kim shortly after she went upstairs to get changed and ready for the day. It had been a while since Kim had been in her uniform, and she realized just how much weight she had lost as she got dressed.

She could get away with wearing it, it was just a little baggy, and she had to tighten her belt to keep her pants where they belonged. She would need to get a new uniform that a little smaller.

She knew she probably wouldn't gain back much more weight. She had to admit she felt good about having dropped a dress size, even if she had been sick. But she was looking after herself, and working out more too.

She came back downstairs, to find Lombardo going through the fridge.

"Who's sports shakes are these?" he asked.

"Mine," Kim replied.

"How can you drink those?"

"I just put a straw in it, and gulp it down." Kim laughed.

"No, I mean why would you want to drink those? They're disgusting!"

"I know they're pretty foul, but I don't have a choice, since the surgery. I have to drink them to keep my energy up."

"So do you have a scar?" .

"Yeah, a big one, actually." Kim replied.

"Can I see it?"

"I'm not doing this all day," she muttered. "Anyone else wanna see my scar!"

Most of the guys came over to see the scar. Kim lifted her shirt, to reveal not only a scar right down to her belly button, but also a very flat stomach, and nice abs from playing with the exercise equipment at home while she was off.

"Kim your six pack there is distracting me from seeing the scar," laughed Lombardo.

"I haven't had much to do, and the doctor said that after two months I could exercise. I was looking kind of anorexic so I decided that I'd try to see if I could get some muscle mass."

"Looks to me like you managed to do it quite well," Walsh told her.

"Yeah, I'm proud of what I was able to do accomplish in only four months."

"The real test will be keeping it like that when you're not at home working out all day," Jimmy reminded her, as he came in.

"True enough."

"It's great to have you back, Kim."

She went over and gave him a big hug. The only times she had seen him was when he was picking up or dropping off Joey. When they did see each other, he was almost cold toward her.

He wrapped his arms around her nervously. He still wasn't exactly ready for close contact with her, but he didn't know how to tell her. He knew it would open a can of worms he didn't want opened if he acted different in front of everyone.

He hugged her for a moment, then pulled away from her. She felt a little strange, and like he was still brushing her off, a little, but she thought it would be better not mention it in front everyone.

She smiled at him. "It's great to be back!"

"Have you missed it around here?" asked DK..

"Yeah I have."

"Hey, Kim now that you're back, tomorrow's your day to clean the bus," Bobby told her, before going outside.

"I didn't miss that so much," she laughed.

A petite blonde woman walked into the station house. Kim didn't recognize her, but realized she must have been her replacement cause everyone else seemed to know her.

"So you must be the infamous Kim Zambrano," she said, putting out her hand.

Kim shook the woman's hand. "Infamous? Hardly, you must be Alex, um, Taylor right?"

She nodded. "That'd be me. So you're the lucky girl that nabbed the guy I've been riding with these past few months."

Kim smiled. "Yeah, well that one's true."

"She also bagged Doherty," DK told Alex.

"Really?" Alex asked.

Kim laughed nervously. "Jimmy and I were married for a while. We have a son together."

"You've gotta teach me your tricks sometime."

"I'll see what I can do."

Kim laughed, Alex seemed to be a nice person. She thought she might want to be friend with her. She could use all the female friends she could get.

"Zambrano! Taylor!" Lieu called, coming out of the office, and motioning them to go over there.

"First day back, and I'm already in trouble," chuckled Kim, as she walked toward the office.

She walked in and realized that the circumstances of her being there could not be as bad as the last time she had been in there.

"What's up, Boss?" asked Taylor.

"I just wanna make sure you both know what's going on," Lieu said.

"I'm still riding with Bobby right?" Kim asked, having not heard anything different.

"Yeah, for now anyway. You two work well together, as long as there's no problems I'll keep you together."

"All right," said Kim. "We'll be on our best behaviour."

Johnson smiled. "All that's all I can ask for. As for you, Taylor, you're going to be riding with Doc today, and hopefully we'll get you on the squad tomorrow."

"All right, thanks Lieu."

"And, Kim welcome back," he said.

"Thank you."

The two women left the office. Kim was surprised to hear that Alex was also firefighter. Bobby had never mentioned that to her before, she wondered if Bobby knew.

"The squad, really?" Kim asked Alex.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to be a firefighter," Alex told her. "Decided to do the medic thing, and go from there."

"That makes sense. Once upon a time I wanted to be a firefighter."

"What happened?"

Kim laughed. "I married one, and got pregnant."

Alex laughed. "I've only done the medic thing so far, though. When you got sick Doc called me up, cause we used to work together. He asked me if I wanted to take a replacement medic shift for a few months, then he'd see if he could get me on the squad, here."

"Lemme guess you jumped at the chance?"

"Hell yeah! It's the closest thing I got to an offer since I did my training. Doc's a good ally, everyone loves him around here."

"Yeah, he's a pretty good person to know if you want to get ahead."

"So I've been waiting patiently for your return so that I could try my hand at firefighting."

Kim laughed. "I'm sorry I took so long to recover."

"You needed all that time, recovering from a surgery like that."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, probably."

"I feel like I know you already, Bobby had so much to say about you while we were riding together."

Kim smiled. "I hope it was good."

"All good, I don't think that man has an ill word to say about you."

"If you listened to him only you'd think I was perfect. I've got my faults, and I don't know how he doesn't see him."

"They say love is blind."

"In my case stupid would probably have fit better."

Alex looked at her a little bewildered. "Bobby seems like a great guy."

"He is, it's other choices in men that I wonder about sometimes."

Alex nodded. "Yeah, a few people have warned me to stay away from Doherty. You two were really married? I don't see him as the marrying type."

"He's really not the marrying type." Kim laughed.

"Oh."

"I'd have to give you the same advise on Jimmy stay away from him. We only got married cause I got pregnant, and we thought it was the best things to do." Kim explained. "How about we talk a little later? I'm kind of excited to get back into the swing of things."

Alex nodded. "All right."

Kim went off to see what Bobby was up to. She realized as soon as she had met Alex that they would get along really well. She would have to invite her to coffee with her and Faith sometime. She went into the parking lot, and found Bobby at their usual rig.

"Hey," she said, walking over to him.

He smiled at her, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I missed seeing your beautiful face around here."

She laughed. "It's not like you didn't get to see it everyday when you got home."

He shrugged. "I just missed working with you, we always know what the other one needs when we're on the street.. Alex is good, but I don't have the same vibe with her as I do with you. It's like you're in my head sometimes."

Kim laughed. "I'm not sure if I'd consider that a good thing."

"It is when we're working, it makes things go a lot easier."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"So are you sure you're up for this?"

"Yes, Bobby I'm sure."

She was getting annoyed with people asking is she was ready to be back at work. She had felt ready to go back for months, but she knew that she should take some extra time just in case because of her line of work.

"If I don't feel right about something I promise I'll tell you."

"All right." He kissed her lightly one more time, then their radios went off telling them that they had their first call of the day.

Kim was excited to be back in action again, and at that point she didn't care if the call was just some drunk passed out in the park. She was just happy to be working again.

They pulled up to the scene, and sure enough it was just some drunk that Bosco and Faith had found in the park.

He wasn't a young man, but he wasn't a teenager either. He looked very disheveled, as if he had been on the streets for a while. Bosco, was arguing with the man who was on the ground.

"I ain't drunk!" the man protested.

"You smell like a damn brewery!" Bosco told him.

"Someone musta spilled it on me! I don't drink!"

"Why were you sleeping on the pavement?"

"I'm homeless, it's what we do!" the man spat.

"Most of you move when they see us comin' you can't even get yourself up!"

"I told you already! I hurt my leg!"

"Bos," Faith warned. "They're here, how about you just let them check him out."

Kim and Bobby walked over to them, with their med bags. Kim smiled at her friend, as she passed by. She knelt down to talk to the man.

"So if you hurt your leg, where does it hurt?" Kim asked him.

"The whole damn thing hurts," he told her.

"I'll see what I can do, but I'm sure the doctor's at the hospital will be able to help more."

"I ain't seein' no doctors!"

"All right."

Kim looked up at Bobby, who also kneeled down to the man's level. Neither of them could find anything wrong with the man's leg. He just screamed every time they touched it.

"What kind of bird is that?" Kim asked making the man turn away.

Bobby quickly touched the man's leg as his head was turned, and he didn't even react. Kim knew what Bobby was doing, and was not surprised when the man didn't react to anything when he wasn't looking

Kim and Bobby were both thinking the same thing, he was looking for free drugs. Kim went to go touch his leg one more time, and he screamed. They looked at each other, and nodded.

"I need to talk with my partner, alone for a moment," Bobby said, standing up. "We'll be just over there, tell us if you feel anything different, all right?"

"Yeah," the man muttered.

Kim followed him, and motioned for Faith to follow them as well.

"What's up?" Faith asked.

"He's probably a junkie," Bobby replied. "He's looking for some free drugs"

"How do you know?"

"When I saw that bird, there was no bird. Bobby touched his leg, he didn't react. But when he was watching us, well you heard him," Kim replied.

"Oh."

"So he's got two choices, he goes to the hospital with us, or he goes with you two to the station after he signs a refusal of treatment form. Either way it's not going to be easy," Bobby explained.

"So we'll go over there, and see what we can do, while you talk to Bosco," Kim offered.

Faith nodded, and called Bosco over. Bobby and Kim continued to examine, and talk to the man.

"I ain't goin' to no hospital! All them doctor's are a buncha quacks!" he yelled, after a few minutes.

"Look, Sir," said Bosco. "You got two choice, you go with them to the hospital, or you sign one of their forms saying you don't want any treatment, and come with us, till you sober up."

"I ain't drunk! I just can't move!"

"Then let them take you to the hospital. I'm telling you that's the only choices you got!"

All of a sudden the man got up and started running, realizing they were on to his scam. The four just watched as he ran off, not really caring where he went, as long as they didn't have to see him again that day.

"Still happy about being back?" Bobby asked Kim.

She laughed. "It was an, interesting, first call back," she laughed.

"That's one way of putting it," laughed Faith.

"Wait, you actually missed this bullshit?" Bosco asked Kim.

"Not necessarily, this kind of thing, but just being out here, helping people."

"Just like you'd miss chasing down, and getting a drug dealer if you were off for a while," Faith told him, then cleared them to take another call.

Bobby and Kim also cleared themselves, and as soon as they did they got another call. It looked like it was going to be one of those days where you hardly have time to breathe. Kim was happy. She wanted a busy day to prove to everyone that she really was ready to be back.

--

By the end of the day Kim was still feeling pretty good about being back, but she was beat. It had been a long day, with hardly enough time to even breathe between calls. She felt pretty good considering, but couldn't wait to fall into bed.

The only thing that had bugged her throughout the day was Bobby constantly asking her if she was doing all right. The answer was always the same. She kept telling him that she would tell him if she started to feel not right. She had had a little trouble with lifting a few people, but that was cause she hadn't done any in over six months.

She was just glad to be back, working, and helping people. She had just finished cleaning up after the run, and she was going to go get changed, but Doc stopped her.

"How are you feeling?" Doc asked her.

"I'm a little tired, but otherwise I'm good," she told him, smiling.

"No problems out there today?"

"Not really, but if my partner asks me one more time if I'm feeling all right I may slap him silly."

Doc laughed. "All right."

"So I'm just your partner now?" Bobby asked, coming up behind her, and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"When we're working, yeah, you're just my partner."

"All right, I guess I can deal with that."

Doc shook his head, and walked away from them. Kim turned around in Bobby's arms, and kissed him lightly on the lips. He almost immediately deepened the kiss, and she didn't protest, wrapping her arms around him.

"Oh get a room!" Lombardo laughed, as he walked past them.

"Come on, if you had your girlfriend around here you'd be all over her," DK reminded his co worker.

Bobby and Kim broke their kiss, but didn't let go of each other. Kim was laughing as Bobby held her close.

"He's got you there," Bobby laughed.

"How about we go get changed?" Kim suggested.

"Good idea."

The pair went upstairs to get changed, and ready to go home. Just as they got up the stairs, they saw Alex coming down.

"How did your first day as a firefighter go?" Kim asked.

"It's went really well," Alex replied. "How was your first day back?"

"Pretty good, feeling a little tired though."

Alex laughed. "That happens when you have a few months off, takes a while to get back into the routine."

"Yeah, that's for sure. And the whole missing a part of my stomach thing makes things even worse."

Alex nodded. "I'd imagine so, never been through that though."

"I wouldn't recommend it."

Alex laughed. "I'll remember that, if ever someone offers it to me."

They moved out of the way of the stairs to keep talking a little bit. They had an instant connection, probably because they both knew what it was like to one of the girls at the firehouse.

"I think the worst is that sports shakes that I'm supposed to drink."

"Oh, yeah those things are awful. What else is different about your diet?"

"I can't eat a lot at one time, I hate that. It's kind of fun to be able to snack all the time, but there are days where you just want to go out and make a pig of yourself, at a buffet or a special dinner, you know?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, especially when you're working with a bunch of guys!"

"Exactly, but if I eat too much then I get sick."

"That's has to suck."

"Yeah, just a lot. Anyway, I really should be getting dressed, but we should go for coffee sometime."

"I thought you can't drink coffee."

"I can't but there are things at coffee shops I can drink, so I'll stick to those."

Alex smiled. "All right, that sounds like fun. How about we talk a little bit more tomorrow, and set something up. You look a little tired."

"Thanks, sounds good. See you tomorrow."

Kim continued on her, way, and quickly got changed. She went downstairs, to find Bobby already in his SUV. She smiled at him, as she got on. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

"I think today was a good day," he told her, as he pulled away.

"I would have to agree with that," she agreed.

They hadn't gone more then two blocks, and Kim had fallen asleep in the passenger's seat. It had been a long day, and she realized that she would have to experiment a little to keep her energy where it should be all day.

tbc...

end notes: she's back at work yay! like my little surprise as to who replaced kim while she was gone? hehe... i'm gonna work her into kim and faith's gal paling hope everyone like the idea, big thanx to kristen for telling me to go for it, and keeping relativly mum about it!


	25. 25

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: things are starting to get back to normal 'round the work scene, i'm happy hehe... i've got about half of the last chapter finished but i'm not really sure how long before i get there, hope you're still digging this! hehe 

Just after Kim had gotten Joey onto the bus, she received a call. She picked p the phone, and was not at all surprised to hear Faith's voice on the other end on the phone.

"Hi?" said Kim.

"Hey, it's me," Faith replied. "How are you doing today?"

"Pretty good, you?"

"I could use a before work coffee, or whatever it is you can drink now, for some girl talk."

"All right, sure. You know I'm always up for a good gab session."

"Thank you so much."

"When do you want to meet?"

"As soon as you get over there?"

"That urgent huh?"

Faith laughed, nervously. "Yeah, kind of."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Kim, I really appreciate this."

"What are friends for?"

"Later then?"

"Yeah, bye."

Kim hung up the phone, and went into the bedroom. She crawled into the bed, and kissed Bobby lightly to wake him. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close.

She giggled, but pulled herself away from the sweet embrace.

"Bobby, while that would be really nice, I just wanted to tell you I'm going out with Faith before work. I'll meet you at work before our shift," she told him.

"All right," he said a little disappointed.

"Tomorrow morning, after Joey leaves for school we'll go wild, I promise," she kissed him again. "I love you."

"I'm going to hold you to that. Love you back."

She then ran out the door, got a cab, and went to coffee shop to meet Faith. When she got there was not surprised to see her friend already there.

Kim ordered a small hot chocolate, then went to sit with Faith. She looked like a nervous wreck. Kim knew that something major had happened.

"Hi," Faith said, barely above a whispered.

"Faith?" Kim asked. "What's wrong?"

Faith took a deep breath. "Fred called last night."

"Oh." Was all she could say.

Kim seemed just as surprised as Faith had when she got the call. Both had assumed that he had slipped off the edge of the Earth since he had left about a year earlier.

"What did have to say for himself?" Kim asked after composing her thoughts.

"He told me that he's thinking about trying rehab."

"That good, right?"

"I guess, so, but he says he won't do it until I tell him if can see the kids again."

"What?" Kim could hardly believe her ears, was he actually that selfish that he would make his ex wife make that choice?

Faith looked past her friend. "He wants me to tell him to go to rehab so he can see the kids again."

"He was the one who left, the way I remember it. You didn't kick him out."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, that's the way it happened. Now he wants me to be the one that allows him back into those kids lives, so that he doesn't have to feel guilty if he does leave again."

"Are you sure that's what it's about?"

"I was married to him long enough to know that he likes having a scapegoat for when things don't go as planned. When he drinks it's because someone else made him do it. When he can't get a job cause someone promised him something and it feel through. If it's someone else who was the catalyst, then he doesn't beat himself over it."

Kim nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

"But the fact that he wants me to make the decision tells me that he's not really ready to come back, and if he thinks he is, he certainly won't stay. I just don't know what to do. He has to want to get better for himself not because I told him to for the kids."

"Then just tell him the truth?"

Faith shrugged. "I don't know, it's not that easy. If I tell him he can't come back, then I feel guilty that I'm the one who won't let the kids see him. I'm in a no win situation here. If I let him back and he leaves again, then I'll have been the one who made that happen. I don't want my kids to be hurt like that. But if by some chance, he actually does get himself better then I'm the one who took him away."

"That makes sense. What if you tell him that once he's ready to know what he wants to do you'll support his choice?"

Faith shrugged. "That could work, I guess."

"You don't have that many options here Faith. You have to think about your kids first. I know you know that, I'm just reminding you that it is the right thing to do, as another mother."

"I know. Thank you, I needed to hear that. Is it selfish to think that he'll ruin everything with Bosco and me if he comes back?"

Kim smiled at her friend. "I wouldn't call that selfish I would call it another feeling, that you're not ready to hear about just yet."

Faith shook her head. "I really can't think about having anything like that with him now."

"Even if Fred comes back into the kids' lives, it's not like he can just come back to your bed."

"I guess you're right. It's just, that, I don't know. I just have a feeling the whole thing is a bad idea."

"Then tell him that you think it's a bad idea, and it's his choice to prove your right, or wrong, or just not come back at all. You can't be the one making those kinds of choices for him, anymore. You're not married anymore, and you have no obligation to him."

"I know you're right, Kim, it's just."

Kim nodded. "You need to decide what is best for you and your kids. Fred coming back and leaving again would be far worse then him just staying away. You have to make him understand all your concerns."

"I really don't want him back. I don't even want him to call me ever again." Faith sighed.

"Eventually he might get a clue and if he does as long as your kids are still young he will have to have some role in your life."

"Ever wish you had a crystal ball?"

Kim smiled, "sometimes, of course if I had had a crystal ball to tell me how bad Jimmy was I would have never gotten Joey."

"You're right. If I had never known Fred, I wouldn't have my kids, and that would be pretty miserable. I just wish I knew for sure what he'd do in the future."

Kim nodded. "You can't do that, unfortunately. Just do what's best for those two great kids of your, cause they need you to be the strong one."

"I'm happy with the way things are right now. They love Katri like their big sister, everything's great right now. They're getting along fine in school, and with therapy. And they really enjoy their 'Bosco Nights.'"

"Bosco Nights?"

"Yeah, that's what I mark on the calendar so they know when they're going with him next. I don't want to screw that up, they all love it."

"Then don't."

"Would I be depriving them of anything, if I told Fred to get lost until he's been sober for a good long time?"

"No. I don't think you would be. If they thought you were, then they'll see another therapist, who will probably tell them that you only did it to protect them."

Faith laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. That's why I want to do that. Everything seems to be back to normal, again. We're all happy right now, I don't want to do anything to throw that balance out the window."

"Then the answer is simple, just tell him that if he's serious he has to get sober and stay sober for a few years before he cane com back."

"Thank you so much for agreeing with me on this. I just needed to get someone else's thoughts on it."

"You know I'm always here for you."

"I'm just glad that we seem to have the same train of thought on this."

Kim nodded. "If you're really unsure about it still, then go talk to you therapist, I'm sure she'd be of help."

"I may just do that. Thanks, so how are you doing?"

Kim shrugged. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this coffee thing."

"Can you ever have coffee?"

"I can have it in moderation, but I know that if I got a sip of it I'd pick up the pot, and pour it down my throat."

Faith laughed. "Wow, you miss it that much?"

"Yeah, so I'll just have to remember what it tastes like, and smell it brewing."

"I guess that could work."

"I like to think it will."

Faith smiled. "How's your amazing fiancé?"

"He's good, I think he's finally starting to learn that I do know my own limits."

Faith laughed. "They're a little slow sometimes, aren't they?"

Kim laughed. "For sure. But we're doing really good. Starting to talk about our wedding plans, just getting the ball rolling, you know."

"When do you want to get married?"

"He wants to get married on the one year anniversary of me getting out of the hospital, because that's the day he accepted that I was in remission. He says that was the day he knew that we really were going to spend the rest of our lives together."

"That's kind of sweet."

"Yeah, I guess so. I don't know if I want to celebrate my anniversary then though."

"I guess not, but going into remission is something to celebrate, I think"

"Plus, getting married in the fall, I always thought I'd have a spring wedding."

"Fall weddings are nice, with all the foliage, you'd have some pretty great pictures if the weather co-operated."

Kim smiled. "You know you're right on that. Maybe it's not such a terrible idea."

"But it's your wedding, so you can do whatever you'd like."

"This is true, and Bobby would let me do whatever the heck I wanted to. None of the rushed planned in month again either! I can actually have things the way I want. Oh my god! The dress I want would probably work better in the fall too!"

"Then you and Bobby had better get ball rolling."

Kim smiled. "Yeah, I guess so." She went silent for a moment. "You want to be my maid of honor?"

Faith smiled at her friend. "I'd love to."

"Thank you so much."

"Who else do you want in the wedding party?"

Kim shrugged. "Probably my sister, and of course Joey."

"Joey kind of goes without saying."

"It's good that you're talking to your sister again."

Kim smiled. "It's great. And I don't have to worry about Bobby seducing her."

Faith laughed. "Seducing her, huh?"

"Well, something like that anyway. I don't know Jimmy just has this way of getting exactly what he wants, when he wants it."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but he's been good with me of late. He won't even hug me anymore."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know, I kind of miss it."

"It's probably somewhat hard for him to deal with, you know?"

Kim shrugged. "I guess so."

"Just put yourself in his shoes. For a while there you were coming back to him whenever you really down. Now you've got Bobby, and have made it clear that he is the past. How would you feel if someone who told you that, who you used to love, is saying let's just be friends. But still hugging, and petting you?"

Kim nodded. "You have a point there, I never thought about that. I guess it's pretty uncomfortable for him to have me acting even a little like we were before?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, exactly."

"I'll apologize to him when I get to work."

"I think that would be a good idea. How's Joey?"

"He's good. He doesn't really like me being back at work very much, but he's dealing with it though."

Faith laughed. "He probably got used to having you home the last few months."

"Yeah, he did, he really liked it. But I need to work. It's just hard to explain to a child why you need to work."

"Yeah, I know. Mine are just starting to get the idea that money comes from doing things, not just from thin air."

Kim laughed. "Then I have a few years of him not understand ahead of me?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, that's the way it work, usually."

"You know, you really start to learn how not crazy your parents were when you have kids."

Faith laughed. "That's for sure!"

Kim looked around the coffee shop, and saw Alex at the counter.

"If you'll excuse me a quick second," Kim said, standing up.

She went over to where Alex was, now at the condiment stand putting cream into her coffee.

"Hey," said Kim, smiling.

"Oh, hi," Alex replied.

"You wanna join me and my friend for a coffee before work?"

"Yeah, sure, I've got an hour to kill anyway, it's better then sitting at the house listening to the guys go on about their latest conquests."

"Come on over."

"You're sure your friend won't mind?"

"Naw, she's cool, she works at the station next door."

"All right. So a firefighter, a paramedic, and cop walk into a coffee shop, and they're all women.."

Kim laughed, and walked over to the table Alex followed her.

"Faith Yokas, meet my replacement and soon to be firefighter Alex Taylor, Alex meet my friend Faith."

Alex and Faith shook hands. They were at a proper table so Alex sat at one end, facing no one, while Kim and Faith were facing each other.

"You're gonna be a firefighter huh?" Faith asked the new girl.

"That's the plan," Alex said.

"Weren't you working with Bobby?"

"Yeah, the plan was that I'm was gonna replace Kim till she got back, then they'd let me try my hand on the squad."

"Multi talented. I'm assuming you have no kids then?"

Alex smiled. "Nope, I don't have any. You have kids?"

"A son and a daughter."

"Married?"

"Divorced."

"What are their names, the kids I mean."

"Emily, she's twelve, and Charlie, who's nine."

"How long have you been divorced, if you don't mind my asking."

"I don't mind at all. My husband left about a year ago now."

"Oh, with anyone?"

"Just a bottle of beer."

"Gotcha. So I'm guessing you get on Kim's back for finding Prince Charming."

Faith laughed. "Sometimes."

"It's not like you couldn't have your very own white knight," Kim reminded her friend.

"He's hardly a white knight."

"For you I bet he would be."

"Hey, I want some details here!" Alex exclaimed.

"I'm just teasing her about her partner."

"Oh, from what I've seen of him running his mouth off in the streets, I actually felt sorry for you having to deal with him," Alex laughed.

"He likes people to think that he's a tough guy. But really he's just a big softie," Faith explained.

"Especially in anything pertaining to you," Kim reminded her friend.

"I feel like I'm out of the clique here," Alex laughed.

"Here's what you need to know. Since my husband left, and especially after Kim got sick, and I didn't feel right going to her with my problems, Bosco started to be a really good friend to me. He takes my son out for some male bonding every week on his day off, every second week my daughter goes along too, and once in a while I go along with them," Faith began.

"That's really nice of him. He really doesn't come off as the kind of guy who would do something like that," Alex said.

"I know, he doesn't like his soft side getting around. He's been a really good friend to me since my husband left, and Kim thinks that I should just go for it and date him already."

"Oh."

"You forgot to mention a few things," Kim reminded her Faith. "You forgot to mention that almost any time he goes anywhere with you he doesn't look elsewhere. Up until a year ago Bosco would chase anything in a skirt that made the mistake of glancing his way. All of a sudden he's spending all his time with his partner."

"I see where you're coming from now," Alex laughed.

"Yeah, and every once in a while, they slip up a little and share a little bit more then a friendly kiss."

Alex's eyebrow crocked. "Really?"

Faith shook her head. "I care about Bosco, really, it's just that I'm still not sure if I'm ready to date again."

"It's been a year, that's usually plenty of time to get over anything, I think."

Kim smiled. "See now I have an ally."

"I still don't know," Faith replied.

"You know what might help? If the three of us had a girls night. If you're actually having fun, and flirting and what have you then you know you're wanting to date. If you're being a bump on a log the whole night, then we'll know you're really not, and we'll quit bugging you."

"I like that idea!" Kim exclaimed.

"I thought you couldn't drink?" Faith asked.

"I can't, but I can probably borrow Bobby's SUV, and be DD for the night."

Alex laughed. "That sounds like a good plan to me."

"Yeah, I could deal with that. And this way we don't have any cabbies thinking that we're beyond wasted, telling us 'no sick in my car.'" Faith added.

"Whenever one of them tells me that, I tell them to quit their belly aching, that I drive and ambulance, and have had people puke on my shoes."

"That's the worst!" Alex exclaimed. "And all you can do is stand there, and hope to hell that you don't get sick too."

Faith went a little white. "I don't know how you do it."

"How do you do what you do?" Kim asked. "It's the same thing. I mean at least when you find someone who's sick you can always call us and pawn him off."

"I always feel like shit when I make you do a transport like that," Faith admitted.

"When you think about it though, it's a hell of a lot easier to get anything out of a bus, then RMP, right?"

"This is true."

"I mean it can be a pain in the ass to clean up," Alex said. "But at least once you finish cleaning up, then the smell is gone, and you can forget that it was there."

"That's true. The few times we've had a drunk in the car, it's next to impossible to get out without a proper shampoo. Bosco usually says that the RMP smells like someone puked in a pine forest the rest of the day."

Alex couldn't help but laugh at that description. "That's nasty though."

"Yeah, it is."

"How about we change the subject?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Kim agreed.

"So why were you two here so early this morning?" Alex asked.

"Just needed Kim's advise on something," Faith explained.

"Oh."

"My ex husband called me out of the blue last night. I wanted her opinion on what she thought of the that, because she's been there for me since before he left."

"That makes sense then. Don't feel obligated to tell me stuff. I'm not nosey, if you don't want me to know then, you don't want me to know. The only thing that bugs me is if you whispered around me. Then I want to know what you're saying, cause I'm worried it's about me."

Faith laughed. "I would never do that, I think it's so rude when people do that."

"Yeah, me too," Kim agreed.

Alex looked at her watch. "Holy shit, look at the time, she should get going."

The other two looked at their watches, and sure enough it was about time to head of to their respective places of employment down the road.

"We should defiantly meet here more often," Alex said.

"We try to once a week," Faith said. "You're welcome to tag along."

Alex smiled. "Thanks, it sure beats sitting around the firehouse when I'm early, watching as the guys try desperately not to scratch themselves in front of me."

Faith laughed. "The goings on of the firehouse."

Kim shook her head. "They don't give a shit with me anymore, once they get used to you they just treat you like one of the guys."

Alex laughed, and they all went toward their respective places of employment. Kim was not surprised that Bobby was already there. She smiled at him before going upstairs to get changed.

tbc...

end notes: i really hope you all are digging the alex stuff, i thought it would be a fun little addition to the group dynamic, tell me what you think, i've got the girls night almost written, but i'm thinking of doing some b/f stuff first hehe... keep the reviews coming i love 'em!


	26. 26

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i thought that the story needed some partners type stuff, you'll see what i mean, have some fun stuff coming up in the next few chapters, i hope you like it all, i always love to hear it if 'ya do! 

It was finally time for Bosco and Faith's meal break. Faith was glad, her stomach had been growling for almost an hour, but they weren't able to clear for lunch any earlier. Bosco pulled up to a small diner, and they both got out of the squad, stretched their legs a little, then went inside.

They sat down facing each other at a booth. They each ordered a hamburger platter when the waitress came by.

"I don't know what I want to do with the kids this week," Bosco told his partner.

"You don't have any ideas?" she asked him. "You usually have stuff planned a few weeks in advance, and you're taking them tomorrow."

"I know. I don't wanna cancel, but I just don't know what I want do do."

"They really look forward to their Bosco nights, so I hope you don't cancel on them."

"I'm not planning on it I promise, I'll find something to do with them, I'm sure." He smiled at her.

"You have to have some ideas rolling around in that head of yours."

"I do, kind of. I was thinking of maybe seeing a movie, but it's so overpriced, and most of the time when they see me the can't stop telling me stories, so I don't think people in the theater would like that too much. What's the point of paying thirteen bucks to see a movie and be quiet you know?"

"I understand completely."

"But I really thought it could be fun to just watch a movie with them. You know something quiet. I mean it's great to do physical stuff with them, but I'd like to have some down time too."

Bosco had really started to care about those kids since he had started taking them out on a weekly basis. Occasionally when someone commented on his parenting skills when they saw him with them he wouldn't even correct them. He really liked Emily and Charlie, and had told Faith since they were born that he'd have kids if he was guaranteed to get two like hers.

Now he seemed to be starting to play the role of surrogate father to them, with Fred gone, and he loved it. He just didn't want word getting around that he was actually starting to get soft.

Faith laughed. "That makes sense but you know my kids aren't so good with quiet time. What if you do a movie night? We used to have them with Fred once in a while. We'd rent a couple of movies, pop a bunch of popcorn, get into our pajamas and watch movies, and laugh, and have great time."

"I like that idea."

She smiled at him. "Good, then is it settled? You'll have a movie night?"

"Are you going to join us for this movie night?"

"Sure, it sounds like it could be fun."

"Do I get to see you in your pajamas?" he asked hopefully.

"Don't press your luck!"

He laughed. "Aw, you're no fun."

She shook her head. "That sometimes happens when you're a mom."

"I guess so. You know what might be more fun, though?"

"What?"

"If they're not working, of course. Inviting Bobby, Kim and Joey over too. I'll make supper, and we can all catch up, and then we can watch a couple movies."

"You cook?" She was surprised.

He smiled. "I've been told when I actually make an effort I'm quite good at it, believe it or not. I'm Italian the ability to cook runs in the genes, I think. It has to come pretty naturally cause of the size of families and the amount that an Italian family can eat when they all get together."

She laughed. "I just never saw you as the cooking type."

"I don't mind cooking, I kind of enjoy it, actually. I just hate cleaning up after, so I don't do it very often."

She smiled at him. "No one like to clean up, Bos."

"So what do you think Faith?"

"I think that might be a lot of fun, it's a good idea."

"So you ask Kim, and I'll set everything else up, okay?"

"Just remember that Kim's not supposed to have a lot of salty foods since her surgery. I think that's the only restriction she's got. That and she won't touch coffee. She drinks hot chocolate now."

"That can't be a satisfying replacement."

"No, but the alternative is worse."

"True enough. Could you imagine not having part of your stomach?" He shuddered. "I get grossed out just thinking about it."

Faith smiled. "I'm sure you get used to it."

"Yeah I guess."

"All right, the low salt thing shouldn't be a problem cause I never add salt to anything.

Do you know if her son's as picky an eater as your two?"

"I don't know."

She then saw the door to the diner open and was surprised to see Bobby and Kim walk inside. They noticed them right away, and made their way over to the table.

"Why not ask her yourself?"

"Huh, what?"

"Turn around."

Bosco turned around, and was a little surprised they had ended up in the same place for lunch that day.

"Mind if we join you?" Kim asked, stopping in front of the table.

"Not at all," Faith replied.

Kim sat down next to her friend, and Bobby sat next to Bosco. The waitress came back with Bosco and Faith's meals, and took Kim and Bobby's orders. Bobby got the hamburger platter as well, and Kim got a chicken salad. Bosco and Faith didn't stat eating right away.

"What are you up to tomorrow?" Faith asked.

"Relaxing," Kim replied. "It's our day off tomorrow."

"That works out perfectly then."

"What are you plotting?"

Faith smiled. "Yee of little faith. It's not me plotting anything anyway, it was Bosco's idea."

"Should I be worried?" Kim laughed.

"Naw, I was gonna have a movie night at my place, tomorrow night. I don't know what I want do with the kids tomorrow. I was thinking of inviting you two, and your son if you have him tomorrow. If you're up to it, you three, Faith, the kids, and me. We'll have supper, and then watch a couple movies. It would be a fun, quiet night in."

"That sounds like it could be fun. Who's cooking?" Kim asked.

"I'm gonna cook."

"You can cook?"

"I love how everyone doubts that I have culinary skills. Have you ever met an Italian who couldn't cook? When I feel like it I can cook quite well thank you. I'll have to prove that to you all tomorrow"

"I said the same thing, don't worry," Faith laughed, patting Kim's hand.

Bosco shook his head. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Bosco told his partner. "Anyway, Faith told me that you can't have a lot salt, and that's fine I don't cook with salt anyway. But is your son a picky eater at all?"

"No, he'll try just about anything you put in front of him."

"Even vegetables?" Faith asked.

"Yeah, actually since I've been sick he's been trying a lot of the veggies and stuff that I've been eating. He's discovered that a lot of them are not as bad as they look. I'm proud of him, really."

"I put certain veggies on my kids plates, and they look like I'm giving them poison. They're not adventurous at all." Faith laughed.

"Joey's been really good of late. He actually got a little award at school a few days ago cause he tried the most vegetables when the nutritionist came in to his gym class."

"Really?"

"Well he had already tried most of them, and knew he liked a lot of them already. He was the only kid in his class who actually tried all the vegetables, so they gave him a little certificate, saying that he eats healthy, and to keep it up. They're trying to promote healthier eating in kids to try and prevent obesity."

"If they did something like that at my kid's school they'd probably send them both home with letters saying that I need to give them vegetables or they'll get scurvy."

"Don't you get scurvy from not eating fruit?" Bobby asked.

"They don't eat any of those except for bananas, and grapes. They're very picky eaters. Maybe I should start telling them they'll get scurvy to get them to eat their fruits and vegetables."

Kim laughed. "Honestly, until I got sick Joey was the same way. It's true about what they say about kid's copying a lot of their parents habits. For a little while after the operation we'd make him something we knew he'd like better. Then after a couple of weeks he'd ask for forkfuls of something off of my plate. He started to like the stuff, and started asking for it instead of whatever we were going to make for him. By the time I was able to starting eating fairly normally again, he had tripled the amount of veggies he'd eat. He never really was too picky about fruits cause he's got a fierce sweet tooth like his father, but too much candy makes him sick. So he'd eat a bunch of fruit, and a little candy, and he'd be happy."

Faith laughed. "I don't think that I'd want to have to change my entire diet to get them to eat their vegetables. Although it's not like I don't eat them, they just won't try them"

"You could have your kids spend more time with Joey, when they see him eating them they'll probably feel a little stupid cause he's younger then him, and he's eating all kinds of stuff they turn their noses up at. They may try a few new things just to fit in that way. Kids are funny like that."

"You think that'd work?"

"It wouldn't surprise me, that's for sure."

"Maybe we'll have to try that sometime."

"Sounds good to me."

"So I was thinking about making angel hair pasta with an olive oil and tomato based sauce, with chicken strips on top, would that work for everyone, what do you think?" Bosco asked.

"That sounds really good, Bos. I really didn't know you cooked fancy food."

He smiled at her, "I told you already, there's a lot you don't know about me, Faith."

"As much as I think it'd be really good, I'm not sure my little monsters would eat anything but the chicken though."

"That does sound really good. Joey would probably try it. He loves pasta and tomatoes and chicken, so he probably wouldn't have a problem trying them all put together."

"When my kids were seven I had trouble getting them to eat anything that wasn't a hot dog, a hamburger, a pizza or fries."

"The only thing Joey was ever picky about was vegetables, and he seems to have taken a liking to those now."

"So what am I gonna make for the kids then?" Bosco asked his partner.

"Go with the chicken, but make sure you have ketchup. They'll eat chicken with ketchup no problem."

Bosco laughed. "All right, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Is there something going on between the two of you?" Bobby asked, Faith and Bosco.

"What? No!" they both answered at the same time.

Bobby laughed. "All right then."

The waitress came back, and put the rest of the food on the table. Everyone continued talking between bites as they ate Bosco and Faith hadn't wanted to be rude, and waited for their food to arrive to dig into theirs.

"Why would you think that there was something going on between us?" Bosco asked.

"I don't know, it was just the way you referred to Faith's kids," Bobby said, shrugging.

"What do you mean?"

"You were talking about them like they were yours."

"I know they're not my kids. But I'm the closest thing that they got to a father right now, so I'm trying to be there for them."

"Doesn't seem like your style."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

Bobby shrugged. "I don't, maybe I had you pegged wrong."

"Or I changed?"

"That too." Bobby laughed. "I don't and there's this vibe between you."

"What are you, a woman?"

"All right, all right, no need to get defensive, I'll drop it."

Faith smiled. "Bosco and I are just friends."

She was a little surprised to learn that Kim had not told Bobby everything that had been going on between her and Bosco. She knew that Kim was trying to plot something, and she had assumed that Bobby was in on whatever it was.

"So how is it that you two lovebirds are still working together?" Bosco asked them, needing out of the hot seat.

"Lieutenant Johnson said that we work well together, and as long as there's no complaints there's no reason we can't work together," Kim explained.

"Oh, well that makes sense, then. Is it awkward at all?"

"Not really, actually. I mean it's like we're on a different mode when we're working, you know? You just get into this zone, and your partner is just your partner, someone you watch out for, and you know they're watching your back," Kim explained.

"Then at home it's totally different," Bobby added.

"Yeah, I also think we try to make sure that we don't do anything stupid because neither of us really wants to have to work with someone new. We know what the other is thinking before we do it a lot of the times. That's something that takes a long time to build up, so we really don't want to mess with that."

"That makes a lot of sense," Faith agreed. "It takes too long to feel like you can trust a new partner."

"I'm sure it's a little different with you two, cause you always have to watch the other's back or it could end really badly. But either way it's not something you can just relearn overnight, with a new person right?"

"Yeah," Faith agreed. "I don't know how well I'd work without knowing that it was Bos backing me."

"It's the same idea. We're really lucky the Lieu and Doc both get that," Bobby explained.

"Yeah."

"Doesn't it piss you off though when some jag-off tries to hit on you your fiancée on the job, and you just have to stand there, and not knock some sense into him?"

Bobby shrugs. "I guess it irks me a little, but I know that Kim can handle herself out there. She's done just fine without me, for a while, so I don't really worry."

"But do you ever wanna just tell the jag-off to keep his paws off your fiancée, or he'll really need medical attention. You know when it's some drunk, or something minor?"

"Honestly, not really. It's different when we're at work, it really is. I know she can handle herself, and that we need to professional out there. Now if someone were to hit on her here I might be more likely to tell him where to shove it, but when we're on the field, I know that I just can't do that."

Faith laughed. "I'm not sure that Bosco knows what professionalism is, or it's just a matter of not thinking before he runs his mouth."

"I don't why I should have to put up some jag-off running at the mouth just cause I happen to be in a uniform. If I was just some random hothead on the street, I could tell him to shut the fuck up. I should be able to do the same thing when I'm in uniform. I mean it's not like I'm the only person thinking it."

"You've got a point, but you're supposed to act more professional when you're at work, you know?"

"I think it's a little stupid sometimes."

"I agree with you, but it's the way it is, right?"

Kim pushed her plate away from her, having most of the chicken, but only half of the salad.

"Eating like a bird are we?" Bosco asked her.

"If I eat too much more I'd make myself. The joy of having half a stomach, you can never finish any meal that you get served, but an hour later you're snacking."

"That's gotta be a pain in the ass."

She shrugged. "It is, but you get used to it. I know what happens when I eat too much, and it ain't pretty."

"I wouldn't imagine so."

She smiled. "It's really got nowhere to go but up. But you really do get used to everything after a little while. You kind of have to."

"Yeah."

"I thought it would be almost impossible to keep the diet at first, but after getting sick a couple of times you learn to suck it up, and deal with it."

"So I shouldn't feel insulted tomorrow if you don't eat a lot of my supper?"

She smiled. "Not at all, you'll know how much I like it if I forgo dessert."

He smiled. "But wouldn't that be rude cause I'll have made that too?"

"Not if I make dessert, to save you the trouble."

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to, I have this strawberry pastry that I think would be a really nice finish to the meal."

"A pastry, really? I now wish I had nabbed you," he chucked. "I'm no good with pastry, and I think that would be a much desert then a cake."

"It's settled then, I'll bring the desert, you just worry about the main course."

He smiled. "Can you drink at all?"

"Only a little bit."

"I was thinking of maybe having wine with supper."

Faith laughed. "I forget how Italian you are sometimes."

He smiled at his partner. "Hush you," he laughed. "So would you be able to have a glass?"

"I don't see why not, I can't get totally smashed, but one small glass of wine shouldn't cause any problems."

"This is really starting to sound like a lot of fun," Faith said.

"Yeah, and Joey'll be excited he'll get to see Charlie again."

"Yeah," Faith agreed. "I'm just a little worried about Em."

"What's wrong with her?" Kim asked.

"I don't, she's just been, not herself of late."

"She's eleven," Bosco reminded her.

"So?"

"That's only two more years before thirteen, that's what's wrong with her."

Faith shook her head. "And here I'd thought she'd stay my prefect little daughter forever. They grow up so fast."

Kim nodded. "I know, I still have trouble accepting that Joey's now in grade two sometimes."

Faith smiled at her friend. "I know what you mean. Just be glad that you don't have to accept the pre-teenager thing."

"Why?"

"When your kid starts getting close to being a teenager, you just start to feel old. It really doesn't help that your once sweet kid is now agreeing with you that you are old, and out of touch."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, just a lot." Faith shrugged. "I don't know, I just think there's something more to it then the terrible teens creeping closer."

Kim couldn't help but laugh. "I'm glad I'm not going to hit that for another few years yet."

"Besides by the time Joey hits his teens we'll probably be having a baby of our own," Bobby reminded Kim.

"That long?"

"Yeah, if something happens before then it was meant to be. But otherwise we want to wait till I'm in remission for five years, before we try."

"That makes sense."

"Good form of birth control, too," Bosco added.

"What?" laughed Kim.

"What's better birth control then actually having a living, breathing, screaming, crying, smelly baby in the house?"

"You have a point there," Faith said. "It's all well and great to baby-sit one. If it's good then the kid might think hey, I can handle this, no big deal But it's quiet another to see how hard it is to raise one."

"That's true."

"I don't see you teaching the love 'em and leave 'em philosophy that his father seems to like so much," Bosco said.

Kim laughed. "Certainly not. I want him to be a little more responsible then Jimmy. Some days I think that the fewer of Jimmy's traits he picks up, the better I'm going to sleep when he starts to grow up."

"I wouldn't worry too much, you got Bobby to kind of even out the male role model thing," Faith assured her friend.

Kim smiled. "You've got a point there."

Bobby shrugged. "I have my flaws too, he reminded them.

The waitress came back, and offered everyone coffee, which everyone accepted except Kim, who asked for a hot chocolate instead.

"Still not drinking coffee, huh?" Bosco asked her.

"No, I'd only be allowed one cup a day, so I don't want to torture myself. You just can't go from at least six cups a day, down to nothing, and expect one to satisfy you."

"You've certainly got a very good point there. Why torture yourself?"

"Exactly."

"About tomorrow how about you three come over at about five, all right?"

"That sounds good."

"Do you need directions?

Kim laughed. "Give 'em to Bobby I'm not so good with directions."

"All right," said Bosco, smiling at her.

All too soon their lunch breaks were over, and they had to get back to working. Kim was actually looking forward to going over for supper, and a movie the next day. It sounded like it could be a lot of fun.

Bosco really seemed to care about Faith's kids, and she was happy for her friend, she just wished that she would get over her fears, and go for what she wanted. It was probably the best thing for her, and her kids, to just go for it.

Somehow she was going to make her friend see that Bosco could make her as happy as she was with Bobby. She decided that she might have to conspire a little with Alex, but it'd be worth it in the long run.

For the time being though she would focus on the next day. Once that was over with she'd plot a girl's night with Faith, to get her to admit that she was ready for a relationship with Bosco.

She wasn't sure how she wanted to help her friend, but she knew that she wanted to. She just wanted to see her happy like she was.

tbc...

end notes: so that was that next up it's gonna be bosco making supper, should be interesting so stayed tuned all! again reviews are very nice things keep 'em coming please?


	27. 27

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES:all right so, we're onto the movie night, i had lotsa trouble writing this, i'm not sure why, so if it's not the best i'm sorry, it'll get better i promise, if you don't hate it pls review laugh 

Kim's day off had been very relaxing, so far. She was just hoping the evening part of it would go as well as the rest of the day had.

She had cleaned up the whole apartment, with Bobby's help. She had also made the desert she had promised to bring the movie night. It always relaxed her to bake, she really enjoyed it.

Despite all that she had to get done, she had managed to get it all done, and have a few minutes to just relax in her fiancé's arms. She always liked it when she was able to find time to just relax with Bobby holding her.

As soon as Joey had gotten home from school he started bugging and asking when they were going to be leaving. He was really excited about seeing his friend, Charlie again. Kim was glad that the two boys got along so well.

The dessert had long since cooled down enough to be put into a Tupperware container so they could bring it over with them when they were ready to go.

"Is it time to go yet?" Joey asked.

"Just about."

"Yes!" Joey exclaimed.

"But before we leave I need to talk to you fore a quick minute, all right?" she told her son, kneeling down to his level.

"All right."

"We're not going to Charlie's house today, remember? So you're not going to have all of his toy to play with. If you want to bring a few of your cars you can. But not your big ones. Just your little matchbox cars all right?"

"Okay. Where are we going then?"

"We're going to my friend Faith's friend's house. His name is Bosco."

"Charlie's told me about him before."

"Good, I'm not really sure how kid friendly his place is so I need you to be extra careful when you're there. I don't want you running around or play fighting with Charlie while you're there. Do you understand me?"

"Yes,. No running or play fighting."

"You don't need a lot of toys, either, okay? Just enough to play with before we eat supper. Then after supper we're gonna be watching movies."

"What movies?"

"I don't know yet. But I'm serious I need you to be on your best behaviour for me, can you do that?"

"Yes Mom," he replied, with a sigh.

Like any kid he hated to be told the rules, because he was smart enough to know them. But of course if she hadn't laid down the rules then he would have thought they didn't apply.

"Good, now go get some of your small toy cars, and we'll leave."

Joey went into his room, and put his favourite fire trucks, and his police cars into a little plastic case that he had. The case had come with a bunch of cars inside, and he always used it to bring a few of his cars anywhere he needed to take them. He then went back into the other room.

"All right, get your shoes on, please." Kim told him. "It's time to go."

"Okay!"

Joey put his shoes on quickly then stood there holding his little case of cars, waiting for everyone else to get their shoes on too. He only had to slip his on, while everyone else had to tie their laces.

"You have your toys?" Kim asked her son.

"Yup," he replied.

"Bobby you got the dessert?"

"Yes, Kim, we have everything, let's go." Bobby replied.

The three of them left the apartment, and Kim locked up behind her. Before long they had pulled up in front of Bosco's building.. They got out of the car, and buzzed up to the apartment. He let them up right away. The door was open when they got up the stairs to his apartment. They went right inside.

"Hi!" called Kim.

Charlie came running, and dragged Joey into another room. Faith appeared in the doorway.

"Okay then." Kim said laughing, getting out of the way of the boys. "Where's the host?"

" Bosco seems to have holed himself up in the kitchen and he won't let me in..

"Oh, the chef likes his privacy?"

"Apparently."

"When did you get here?"

We got here about fifteen minutes ago, and Charlie's been waiting somewhat patiently for Joey's arrival."

"Where do you think I should put this?" Kim asked holding up the Tupperware container.

"I'll take it," Bobby offered. "I'll see if Bosco'll let a guy in the kitchen," he said smiling. "Maybe he just doesn't want to deal with a woman standing over his shoulder telling him what he's doing wrong."

Faith laughed. "That might be it."

"Thank you," Kim replied.

She handed him the container as Bobby went into the kitchen. She the heard the two boys laughing in the other room. Emily was parked on the couch reading a book, pretending not to be paying attention.

"We really have to try to get the boys together more often," laughed Kim.

"Yeah I know, did you see where they ran off to?"

"I don't know, they took off as soon as I walked through the door. I had Joey bring some of his toy cars along with him. I didn't know how much Bosco would have to play with around here."

Faith laughed. "Yeah, it's not exactly the most kid friendly place to have this movie night. But it saved me from having to do to clean ups today." Faith laughed. "Charlie forgot his toys as we were leaning. He was so excited to get here he must have forgotten to grab them as he left. He'll be glad to have something to play with before supper."

The two boys came running through the living room pretending to be airplanes. Emily, who was sitting reading a book on the couch, looked up and rolled her eyes at the two them.

"Joey!" Kim yelled at the same time as Faith yelled, "Charlie."

Both boys stopped in their tracks, "what Mom?" they both asked, innocently, at the same time.

"What did I tell you about running?" Kim asked her son.

"But, we," Joey tired to explain.

"But nothing, I don't want you to break anything."

"Same goes for you, Charlie, how about two find somewhere to play with the toy cars Joey brought all right?" Faith asked her son.

"Okay," they echoed.

Emily watched the whole thing, then rolled her eyes again, at the two boys, after they walked off to play with the toys Joey had brought. She flipped the page on her book, and continued to read.

"To be eleven again," Kim laughed.

"Yeah, if I could be eleven again I'd actually appreciate it, that and twelve," quipped Faith.

"Don't forget thirteen, that's a very under appreciated year of youth. I would defiantly appreciate those years more if I could live them again."

"You've got a point there."

"I can hear you!" Emily snapped.

"One day you're gonna realize that I was right," Faith told her daughter.

"Whatever."

Kim pulled Faith out of earshot of her daughter. "Since when did she become a festering ball of rage?"

Faith looked at her friend. "Since she found out that Fred called, and he's not back. She's blaming me for it."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I think she'll get over it, she's just a little bit pissed off with me right now."

"That's understandable."

"She was so mad she almost stayed home with Katri tonight."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but then she realized that she wanted to try Bosco's cooking."

Kim laughed. "Brave kid. You know she'll be fine as soon as she talks to Lyn. She just thinks that you're crazy, and that you don't understand anything about it. Then if someone else tells her the same thing as you're saying, that it's for her own good, she'll get it."

"I know."Faith nodded. "I'm counting down the days, believe me."

"I would imagine so."

"Look, let's change the subject from pre-teens, all right?"

"Sure."

"I know Em's going be fine, she always bounces back. Now to change the subject. How are the wedding plans coming along?"

"They're coming along quiet well, I've asked my sister and Alex to be bridesmaids. Bobby still hasn't decided who he wants as anything, except the flower girl. He has a niece who's the same age as Joey. Their birthdays are just days apart too, so it'll be perfect."

"That's so cute! But still nothing about his best man or groomsmen?"

"No, he's not really sure who he wants. He's thinking of asking the guys at work."

"Is he close to them?"

Kim shook her head. "No, not really. It's just that the people he's closest to are his family, and he only talks to his sisters, since Matty left."

"Right, what about his friends?"

"They're mostly women. The few that aren't he's not really close to. He hardly sees them, he's known them his whole life, and they just go play sports together once in a while. He sees the guys at work more often, but most of his closer friends are female."

"That could be a problem."

"Yeah, he really wanted his brother to be his best man, he always has. Seriously he'd talk about all the time, whenever his relationships lasted more then a month."

"He's really not afraid of commitment is he?"

Kim laughed. "No, I just feel so bad for him. Cause I really don't think that we're ever going to see Matty again."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, I think he's long gone."

"Yeah, he knows it too, but I know it's upsetting him that he won't have his brother there when gets married."

"I'm sure he'll figure it out."

"I'm sure he will too."

"Since we have a few minutes of girl talk left, I figure I should bring up the dress issue."

"Yes, I've been wondering when we'd deal with that."

"I just have to find a time where, you, Alex, Melanie, my mother, and me can all get there to look at stuff. I know where I want to go, it's just a matter of co-coordinating it all."

"That could be difficult."

"Yeah, I just want everyone to be there to help me pick something out, you know. But I am making a rule that no one is allowed to get pissy about my dress size, I'm missing half my stomach so I'm allowed to be a size two!"

Faith laughed. "I guess that's fair. So what are you going to stick us in?"

"I'm gonna let you three pick amongst yourselves, the only thing is that I want you in blue."

"Like light blue?"

"I was thinking dark blue since it's going to be the fall. I think that would be nice."

"Yeah, I agree, dark blue would be really nice, with all the fall colours, if you can do photos outside."

"I know, I'm getting so excited."

"So what do you want your dress to look like?"

"I want a long sleeves, obviously, where the arms are all long and dangly, you know like those hippie shirts."

"Oh! That sounds so fun!"

"I know, I used to love to wear those kinds of shirt. I really don't care what the rest of it looks like as long as I have my long flowing sleeves. I'd like to have something that's poofy, but I'm not sure it would work with the sleeves."

"Yeah, that would be hard to find something that didn't look stupid."

Kim laughed. "Just a lot, and I'm not sure how much time we're going to have either."

"Are you starting to get excited?"

"Yeah, very excited. I was thinking for the centre pieces to have candles, with colourful leaves, and maybe some pine cones and things stuck on the holders."

"That sounds really nice."

"I'm gonna be having a fall wedding I want to play that up a little you know?"

"I think that's a really good idea."

The two women continued talking about the wedding plans, until supper was ready.

Meanwhile Bobby and Bosco were shooting the shit, as guys like to say, in the kitchen. While Bosco finished making supper.

"Kim's whatever the hell she calls them look really good," Bosco said, upon opening the Tupperware container.

"I think she's made them a couple of times for me, they're really good," Bobby assured him.

"Good, you picked a good one to marry."

Bobby laughed. "Yeah, I guess."

"If she was available I'd go after her."

"And if you weren't in love with your own partner."

"I'm not in love with my partner."

"All right, you just keep telling yourself that, and one day it might be true."

"Am I that obvious?"

Bobby laughed. "We sound like the hens in there. But yes, a year ago when we'd meet up with you two for lunch, you'd be checking everyone out. You'd be ogling Kim, and just plain being yourself. But you've changed. The only person you look at now is Faith. You'll make a few off the cuff comments about Kim, when I'm around, but when you do you're looking right at Faith."

"You're way too attentive. If you weren't engaged to Kim I'd swear you were gay."

Bobby shrugged. "Bosco, you're taking her kids on your day off, instead of going off to look for some innocent ass to tap, there has to be something there. The fact that you're cooking tonight tells me there has to be something going on there."

Bosco laughed. "All right you caught me. I want more from her. I was with her once, and I got myself addicted. Even still, Faith and I are just friend, for now though."

"I should warn you that Kim's plotting something to get you to two together. She hasn't told me what yet, but I know her well enough to know when she's up to something."

Bosco laughed. "Who knows, maybe we need it."

"Just be ready for whatever curveball she throws."

"Thanks for the heads up. You sure Joey's gonna eat this?"

"Believe it or not, he'll try it. He's not a picky eater at all."

"I guess I'm just used to Emily and Charlie, they would never try anything like this. Go figure, and Joey's younger then them."

"He never was a too picky of an eater. I think it might have been cause he used to like to try to be tough around Jimmy and try whatever he was eating."

"That'd make sense."

"Yeah."

"Well this is done, I'll dish it out, if you go get everyone," Bosco told his friend.

"Yeah, no problem."

Bobby went into the other room, and found Faith and Kim talking about the wedding, he smiled at her. He was so excited about the wedding too, he couldn't wait to make her his wife. He was going to give her the wedding of her dreams.

"It's ready. I think Bosco wants you two at the table. I'll get the kids," he told them.

The two of them smiled, and went to the table, while he got the kids. The two were very surprised when he saw the way the table was set up.

He had the kitchen table set with wine glasses, and everything. He only had a four person table, so he had also set the coffee table up as the kid's table. They too had wine glasses, but they were plastic with grape juice in a pitcher in the middle of their table.

Bobby came in with the kids, and they went immediately to what they knew was the kid's table. Bosco gave them their food first, remembering to put the ketchup down for Emily and Charlie.

He then served everyone else, and poured the wine, before sitting down himself. He was sitting facing Faith. He smiled at her, and made eyes at her almost as much as Bobby and Kim were. They were all fairly quiet at the started to eat.

The kids meanwhile, were much more talkative. Emily had poured them each some grape juice. They were all looking at Joey's plate.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Charlie asked Joey, seeing the food on his place.

"Yeah," Joey replied.

"How can you eat that?" Emily asked him.

"I just spin it on my fork, open my mouth, chew it up and swallow it?" Joey offered, not really understanding why she was asking such a ridiculous question.

"Isn't it gross?" Charlie asked.

"Dunno I haven't tried it yet."

The kids went quiet for a minute, as the older two watched Joey take the first bite of his supper. They were both watching him quiet intently, as if the food was might kill him.

"It's good," Joey told them both.

"But, that's, like, grown up food," Emily told him.

Joey scrunched up his nose. "Grown up food?"

He had no idea what she was talking about. He almost always ate the same thing everyone else did. Even when he went out sometimes he would get to try everyone else's if he wanted to.

"Yeah, you eat stuff like that when you're a grown up."

"I dunno about that. I always ate this stuff with my dad."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's good."

"Even the tomatoes?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, I like tomatoes."

"We don't."

"You know ketchup is tomatoes?"

"That's different," Emily reasoned.

"I guess so, but if you don't like tomatoes you don't like anything with them in it."

"Nu-uh," Charlie stated.

Joey shrugged. "Grown up food is good anyway. You should try it sometimes."

"Do you eat like, hot dogs, and hamburgers, and stuff?" Emily asked him.

"Yeah, but I eat this stuff too," Joey explained.

"Can I try some of yours?" Charlie asked trying to be brave.

"Just a little, don't eat it all!" Joey told him.

Charlie tried some, and liked it, but knew better then to take more. He decided to just eat his own supper. A few minutes later, Emily being the oldest, also had to try some of the food of Joey's plate.

Faith watched, almost shocked to see her kids eating like that. She had never seen them actually try something new, and not make faces about it. She had certainly never seen them just decide that they wanted to try something like that.

"I told you so," Kim told Faith.

Faith smiled at her friend. "That you did. We're going to have to get those kids together at meal times more often."

"Yeah," Kim laughed.

"I'm still surprised that he's actually eating that," Bosco commented.

"Joey's always tried almost anything you put in front of him," Kim told Bosco.

"I guess I'm just used to picky kids."

"Cause you hang you with so many other kids but mine," Faith laughed.

"I come from a pretty big extended family, I've been around kids before. Most of them won't eat any pasta that's not smothered in tomato sauce."

"I guess I'm just lucky then, cause Joey's never been a picky eater. This is really good, by the way."

"Yeah," Faith agreed. "I'm just a little disappointed I didn't know about your culinary skills sooner."

Bosco smiled. "I'm glad you both like it."

"Yeah, this is really good, you defiantly know how to cook. I'm pleasantly surprise," laughed Bobby. "Just don't forget to save room for Kim's dessert."

"I won't, I really want to try that, it looks amazing."

Kim laughed. "Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna be saving room for dessert. This is defiantly something I could make myself sick eating."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's just so good. But I think I'm done."

"Really? I think the kids ate more then you did," Faith commented.

"I really can't eat a lot at once. That's why I snack so much at work, and why I need those awful shakes. But I saved as much of my appetite as I could for tonight."

"Thank you for that then," Bosco laughed.

They all finished eating shortly after, and served desert. The kids all loved it, and Emily and Charlie didn't even noticed they were eating fruit.

After everything was put away Bosco started the first movie. Everyone had a great time, glad that Bosco had planned it.

After the first movie the kids had all fallen asleep, so they all decided it was time to go home. Bobby picked up Joey, to bring him to the car.

"I think we should be getting home," Kim said. "We should do this again sometime. See you later."

"Yeah, see you later," Bobby said, before leaving

"Bye!" called Faith and Bosco.

Faith woke up her two, who were still groggy.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked Bosco.

"Of course, see you tomorrow Faith," he said. "See you next week kids."

They each gave him a hug, and said their goodbyes before following their mother out.

Bosco was pleased with how the evening had gone, and decided the may try it again.

tbc...

end notes: my cousins became festering balls of rage at about eleven so that's where i got emily being a bit of a snot from, hope it works, hope the boys work too, have no boy cousins that ages (they're all my age) so i can't really base that off anyone that i currently know, anyway hope you enjoyed stayed tuned, and pls leave a quick reivew ;)


	28. 28

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i know i'm skipping a tiny bit, but whatever, girl's night! woot, and does kim have surprises up her sleeve you'll see, reviews are always welcome i love to hear what 'ya think 

Kim, Faith, and Alex were all sitting at a local bar. They had decided some time ago that they needed a girl's night out. Somehow they had all managed to get the same day off that week, so they decided that it was fate, and that they had to go out.

They were all off the next day, and had agreed to meet at a bar, of Kim's choosing, after they had all gotten off shift.

Bobby was watching Joey for the night, and Bosco had agreed to take Faith's kids overnight. Even with him doing that Faith was in denial that Bosco was falling for her, and that she was falling for him.

Alex and Faith each had a beer in front of them, while Kim was drinking a diet cola. Since she couldn't drink too much since her operation, she had agreed to designated driver for the night.

They were there mostly to see if Faith was ready to date again, or if she was still not ready since Fred had left. Alex was also hoping to pick up the night. While Kim was happy making wedding plans with her fiancé when they were home.

"So if you could mess around with anyone either at the firehouse, or at the station house, consequence free, who would you go for?" Kim asked Alex.

"If I only had to go by looks, I'd have to pick your very yummy fiancé," Alex replied, she remembered how disappointed she had been when he had told her he was engaged. "But he's too much of a good boy for me. Jimmy's pretty easy on the eyes, but I think a little too wild. I think I'd have to go with that cop, Davis, he is absolutely gorgeous and he seems to a good balance of good to bad."

"Ty?" Faith asked. "I'd do him. He's a good guy, but he's got quiet the wild side too, I agree he's a damn good choice."

"Yeah, he is defiantly fuckable," Kim laughed.

"What about you, Kim, other then the two you've already been involved with who would you pick?" Alex asked.

Kim thought for a moment. "I'm pretty committed to Bobby, but if something were to happen, and that didn't work out, and he was still available, I'd have to go with Bosco."

"Really?" asked Faith, surprised.

"Just for some casual fun, I'd totally go for him. I've always thought he'd be kind of fun to mess around with. Of course, you can't really talk now can you, Faith?"

Faith shook her head. "I can't believe what I'm hearing."

"I haven't actually DONE anything with him," Kim reminded her friend. "He's easy on the eyes, and has in the past done the one night stand thing. He'd be a good no strings attached kind of night. I've heard he's not too bad, so if he was available, I'd do him, and not look back when I was done."

Faith laughed. "I really have to stop telling you things."

"You've messed around with your partner?" Alex asked, almost shocked.

"All of once! It didn't mean anything!" Faith exclaimed.

"So you just randomly one night decided to jump into bed with him, and then the next morning you decided you should just be friends?"

"Something like, that. I was upset, one thing lead to another, we ended up sleeping together. He told me that he'd be fine with it being a one night stand, I left that's all it was."

"Isn't it strange being friends with him now?"

"Not really, it was one night, it didn't mean anything."

"Sure it didn't," laughed Kim. "You're not falling in love with him either are you?"

"You sure you're not putting rum in there when we're not looking?" Faith wanted to changed the subject.

"Quit changing the subject!" Kim laughed. "I want to know more about this Bosco thing. I'll get it out of you if have to pay for all the alcohol myself."

"So, Faith, if you had to chose anyone, your delectable partner included to have your way with, who would you chose?" Alex asked her, knowing that if she didn't ask then she may never get the chance.

Faith looked at the floor. "I don't really know."

"Come on! We both answered!" Alex protested.

"All right, if I had to chose anyone at either house, I'd have to go with Bos, but that doesn't mean a thing!"

"Sure, sure, you keep living in denial," Kim laughed.

"Yeah, just get it over with, just jump him and have pig wild monkey sex with him, again, I guess," Alex added.

Faith shook her head. "It's not that easy."

"Sure it is, what are you so afraid of?"

"He's my best friend, I just don't want to fuck that up if I'm not ready to date again."

Alex laughed. "I guess that makes sense. I'm not sure that I could keep my hands off of him after being him once."

Faith shrugged. "I've always been able to, accept that that one night. I was upset, and I needed to feel like someone cared about me. I don't want to say it was a mistake, cause it wasn't. But after my husband left, it just didn't feel right at first. Then Bosco started taking the kids one day a week, so that they'd have some kind of male role model in their lives, and that just complicated things further."

"What?"

"Bosco's been around since my kids were born. They've always had him around. I don't want to do anything that would take the only other guy they've ever cared about away from them, you know."

"Yeah, that's really logical, it wouldn't be good if their father, and whatever Bosco is to them just leaves without ever looking back."

"He's like their big brother, really, and now he's like their second father. They want me to marry Bosco, but I have to be sure that it's what both of us want before I go for it. I don't want my kids to go through losing him too."

Alex nodded. "That must be rough. Maybe I'm selfish but I can't imagine not putting myself first."

Kim broke her silence, saying, "everything changes when you have a kid. It's not even really a conscience thought process, you have this life that you're responsible for, and you know that it has to come first."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, I always thought that people were crazy when they'd say stuff like that, but then I had Emily, and everything just changed."

Alex laughed. "I've never been much of a nurturer, though. I doubt I'll have kids, just in case the instincts don't kick in."

Kim laughed. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't have a clue with their own kid."

"Me either," Faith admitted.

"Although before I can think of that I should find me a man!"

"I'll drink to that!" Faith exclaimed, raising her glass.

Kim felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around, to see a pretty good looking guy standing behind her, grinning stupidly.

"Excuse me," he asked. "Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think so," Kim replied, politely.

It was very possible that she had seen him at some point, or that she had even saved his life, but she didn't think she had.

"Oh, I just thought you were the girl of my dreams."

Kim shook her head, she couldn't believe the pick up line he had used.

"While that's, uh, flattering," she said, faking a smile. "I'm not sure that my fiancé would like it if I fulfilled your dreams." She showed him her engagement ring.

"Oh, uh, sorry then," he stammered, turning many shades of red, before he turned around to join a group of guys who were laughing their asses off at him.

"Okay, then," Alex laughed.

"Have you ever heard such a lame pick up line?" Kim asked.

"I've never heard that one."

"The worst I ever got was before I met Fred, I was out dancing. This guy came up behind me, and put the tag back in my shirt, and then asked if it said angel on it," Faith laughed.

"Oh my god really?" Alex laughed.

"What did you tell him?" Kim asked.

"Probably to go screw himself sideways, I'm not really sure." Faith looked at the empty bottle in front of her. "Where the hell did my beer go?"

Kim laughed. "I'd have to go with, you drank it, officer."

Faith laughed. "This was a really good idea."

"It'd be better if the guys weren't hitting on the one who's engaged," Alex laughed.

"One guy, relax. So back to the Bosco thing."

"How about not?"

Kim smiled. "Come on Faith."

"No, you know what my feelings are on that subject."

"I think you should just go for it," Alex said.

"You don't even know him."

"I don't have to know him, or you for that matter, very well, to see that you two are crazy about each other."

Faith shrugged. "You've been conspiring with Kim."

"No, actually, I haven't. It's just the way you look at each other sometimes. And the way you look when you say his name."

"What are you talking about?"

"When you talk about him, you look just as goofy as miss bride to be over there does when she talks about her Prince Charming."

"I do not!"

"How do you know? Is there a mirror in front of you that no one else can see, so you know exactly what your eyes look like and your facial expression is when you talk about him?"

Faith blushed. "All right, all right I see your point. But that doesn't mean that I'm ready for what Kim has."

Kim smiled. "We're not asking you to marry the man in a few months. We're asking you to give a relationship with the man a try."

"What's the worst that can happen?"

Faith looked over Alex, as she replied. "The worst that could happen? I could try this, and have it not work out. I will lose my best friend, and my kids will lose the only male role model they have left."

Alex nodded. "All right, and what's the best that could happen?"

"The white knight comes on his white horse, whisks you off your feet, marries you, and you live happily ever after," Kim decided to answer.

"And what really happens will be somewhere in the middle. The guy obviously feels very strongly for you if he agreed to take your kids overnight."

"Especially since he didn't really have to. You au pair could have watched them until you got home."

"Katri had plans, I didn't want to make her cancel them."

"But you could have asked her to, and she would have."

"All right, I hear you loud and clear. But I'm a big girl and I can decide who and what I want when I'm good and ready."

"We know that, we're just trying to nudge you in the right direction," Alex laughed.

By this time the waitress had been by with the fourth round of drinks, Faith was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, mostly because it had been so long since had actually had a drink.

Alex was just getting past the feeling sleepy part, and knew it would be one more drink at least before she really started to feel the alcohol.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Faith. "I love this song! We have to dance to it!"

She shot up, grabbing Kim's hand, hardly waiting for her new friend to catch up. Alex followed her friend over to the empty dance floor. They all began to dance to the music, although Kim didn't have anything in her, but she was having fun pretending that she was a little tipsy.

As Faith danced, Kim noticed a man coming toward her. Kim motioned for Faith to look behind her. When she did she was pleased by what she saw. She went over to the guy, who was looking a little shy.

Soon the two of them were dancing, leaving Kim and Alex left their friend to dance with the guy.

"I thought she said she wasn't ready to date," Kim laughed.

"She looks pretty damn comfortable with him," Alex replied.

Faith stayed on the dance floor with the guy for a couple of songs, and moved when something they didn't like, and couldn't figure out how to dance to came on.

Faith was still flirting with the guy she had danced with. Half way though the song she was back at the table.

"He gave me his number," Faith informed them.

"And?" Kim asked.

"I don't know."

"Did you tell him that you had a great time, but you probably won't call because you're madly in love with your partner?"

Faith shook her head. "I'm not madly in love with Bos!"

"All right then."

"I'm not!"

"But you are ready to date, cause you seemed awfully comfortable flirting with him," Alex had to add.

"Thanks," Faith muttered, glad when the waitress brought another round over.

"Faith, we just want you to be happy," Kim assured her friend.

"I am happy."

"But I'd bet you'd be happier if you had someone to go home to."

Faith shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then what's stopping you from using that number?" Alex asked.

Faith went silent, she knew exactly what, or rather who was stopping her, but she didn't want them to know. She knew that she been falling for her partner for a long time, she just didn't want to admit it.

Bosco had been amazing with her, and the kids since Fred had left, and she did want to try something more with him, but she was terrified of screwing up what they had together.

"Your silence says it all," laughed Kim.

"I do care about Bosco, and just cause I'm flirting with a random stranger doesn't mean that I'm really ready to get into a relationship with him."

"You make things way too complicated, you know that?" Alex asked her new friend.

"What do you mean?"

"You just seem to be over thinking this whole thing with your partner. If you really do care about him then, everything should work out the way it should, I think."

Faith shrugged. "I really don't know if I agree with that."

"My new philosophy is life's too short to really sweat the small stuff," Kim said.

"It's just, that, I don't want to screw anything up for my kids."

"Is that really all it is? Or are you afraid of something else."

Faith shrugged. "I care about Bosco, I don't want to lose him. I won't just jump into a relationship with when I'm not sure I'm ready make things worse?"

"They could, I guess, but he may also get sick of waiting around for you to realize he's a good guy, and you'll lose him for good."

"I really don't know what I want to do. I care about him, all right. I want to see what happens, but, it's Bosco. I know what he's like."

"I really think it's in the past," Kim said. "He hasn't been with anyone since he was with you."

"I guess, but look at what happened with you and Jimmy."

"Bosco may have been a little like Jimmy, before, but I honestly don't think that he is any more. He's grown up he really cares for you."

Faith shrugged. "I just, I still don't know."

"The fact that he takes your kids on his day off, every single week has to tell you something. The old Bosco would have never done anything like that. His days off were precious to him, so that he could find unsuspecting victims to bring home, have his way with, and then never call again."

"I know all of this, but."

"He's not doing that anymore, there has to be reason for that. The first thing that pops into my is cause he's busy with you, and your kids. The fact that he has waited this long for you to figure out what you want, just goes to further prove how much he cares about you."

"Bosco was like Jimmy?" Alex asked, almost shocked. "I find that hard to believe. He can be a little tough, but I'd never peg him as a womanizer."

"That should tell you something right there," Kim told her friend.

"But, it's Bos, I just- I don't know."

"Just tell me the first thing you feel when you think of him," Alex said.

"What?"

"Don't over think it, just a word association kind of thing. What's the first thing that pops into your head when I say Bosco."

"God, I love him," Faith heard herself saying, hardly believing she had actually said it.

"See?" Kim said.

"It doesn't mean that I should actually just go for it, though."

"Life's too short to over think things. If you love him, you should be with him."

"What if?"

"He worships the ground you walk on, he would never do what Fred did, not in a million years."

Faith shrugged. "I just don't know. This whole thing with Fred made realize that sometimes things aren't as they appear."

"And the whole thing with Jimmy didn't make me a little gun shy?" Kim asked.

"You don't seem to have a problem with Bobby, you two are nauseatingly in love," Alex laughed.

"We are now, but after I spent that night with him, and he told me he loved me," Kim remembered.

"You ran like a cheetah away from him," Faith recalled.

"And you talked me into getting over my fears, and I did, and look at where we ended up."

"Bosco's no Bobby."

"For you, I think he very well could be."

"I doubt that somehow."

"Who would have believed a year ago that Bosco would actually take your kids, and bring them out every single week on his day off? If we went back in time and told the you from a year ago, you'd fall over laughing."

"I guess so."

"So who's to say he can't be great for you?"

"Was he really that bad?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, he certainly liked his women," Faith replied. "His bedroom had a revolving door on it he had so many women in there."

Alex laughed. "I so don't see that. He just seems to committed to you. It's not even just your friendship, it's like he's already married to you, almost."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie about that?"

"You have a point there. Are you sure you're not plotting something with Kim?"

"All we plotted was to get you out, if there's anything else up her sleeve, I don't know what the hell it is. I'm just telling you what I've seen since I was here."

Kim smiled. "Bobby actually helped me with the second half of my plot," Kim informed her.

"And what might that be?"

"It just walked through the door."

Faith looked toward the door of the bar, and was shocked to see Bosco walking in.

"Where are my kids then?" she asked.

"At my place. Joey and Charlie have been bugging for a sleepover for a while now. Since there's no school tomorrow, I figured it wouldn't be too big of a deal. Emily is set up on my couch, with her books and movies, and is apparently really happy."

"Oh, why'd you let me drink so much?" Faith asked.

"To prove to you just how much he cares about you. As soon as he found out about this girl's night he's been worried that no one would take care of you properly if you drank too much. So, I killed two birds with one stone."

"I can't believe you did all this."

"So whenever you're ready you just go over there, and tell him you're ready to go, and he'll take you wherever you want to go."

The waitress came back. "That's him?" she asked, Kim.

"Yeah, whatever he wants put it on my tab," Kim answered.

"Wait a minute, you know the bartender?"

Kim smiled at her friends. "This is my sister, Melanie. You didn't think it was strange that she knew to just coming back?"

"A little," Alex admitted.

"You didn't get that guy to dance with me did you?"

"No, he did that all on his own," Kim assured her friend.

"I can't believe that you went to this much trouble!"

Kim smiled. "So this is my sister, and she's my other bridesmaid. Mel, I'd like you to meet, Alex, and Faith."

"I've been trying to guess who was who all night," Melanie laughed, she glanced at the bar. "Wow, girl, I don't know how you've kept your paws off of him for a whole year! He is one good looking man!"

Faith laughed. "It's a long story."

"I'll have to join you on one of these girls nights, and get the full story," she laughed. "I should get back to work, though. I'm sure your friend wants a soda or something."

The women continued to drink, and had a couple more rounds, before Faith felt a little overwhelmed by the amount that she had had. She didn't drink often, but she did she made sure she got her money's worth.

When she went to get up she could barely stand up, and they had to call Bosco over to help her out of the bar. Alex wasn't fairing much better. She could stand up, but as soon as movement was added, her legs got wobbly. As Bosco helped Faith to his car, Kim was helping Alex to her own.

The two cars went in opposite directions, and Kim brought Alex home, on her way to her own apartment, and hoped that her plan with Faith would not backfire.

She had not expected Faith to drink that much, and was worried that everything she had planned would be lost in a drunken haze. She did trust Bosco not to screw things up though, and she just hoped that she was right.

When she got home, all of the lights were off. Emily was sleeping on the couch. She pulled the blanket over the child as it was a little chilly in the apartment. She went into Joey's room, to peak on the boys. The two of them were in sleeping bags on the floor. His fire trucks, and police cars were on the bed, waiting for them the next morning. She smiled, watching her son sleep for a long moment.

Suddenly she felt two strong arms snake around her waist. She was startled, but soon settled into the embrace. She was glad to be home.

"How did it go tonight?" Bobby asked her.

"It went well, but I'll know the rest in the morning," she replied, taking his hand, and going into their bedroom.

"That makes sense, then. Ready for bed?"

"Yeah, it's been a long day, I have almost no energy left."

She quickly slipped on one of Bobby's FDNY T-shirts, and then slipped into bed. She fell asleep almost immediately, hardly able to keep her eyes open.

tbc...

end notes: tehehe i told you kim had some stuff up her sleees, evil laugh hope you all like this one, i bet you're salavatign to see what happens with bos/faith huh? reviews pls? they make me giddy!


	29. 29

TITLE: A Friend in Need  
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: all righty, so now what happens with bos and faith you ask, well read on, then review 

Meanwhile Bosco had decided it would be a lot easier to take Faith to his place, mostly because he didn't think she could stomach the ride to her own apartment, and he did not want to have to shampoo the inside of his car.

"Faith how much did you have to drink?" he asked her as he pulled up to his apartment building.

"Dunno, lost count," she replied, laughing.

"Okay then," he muttered, wondering why he had agreed to this. "You stay there, and I'll help you out of the car."

"Why?"

"Cause if you don't you're gonna fall flat on your face, and I'd hate to have see such a pretty face all scratched up."

He ran around to the passenger's side and opened the door for her. She smiled at him, but just sat there.

"You think I'm pretty?" she asked him.

"You know the answer to that question, already," he muttered. He then went to wrap his arm around her to help her up. "This is a lot easier when you work with me."

She laughed a little, and soon they were out of the car. He had his arm wrapped around her waist, helping her to stay up, as they walked into his building, and to his apartment.

"Why can't I go home?" she asked him.

"Cause I don't want you puking in my car."

"Why would I puke?"

"Cause you're rather drunk, and I'm not sure that giggling your stomach around is such a good idea."

She laughed. "Oh, okay then."

They got into the apartment, and he helped her into the bathroom. He helped her to sit down next to the toilet, knowing she'd be sick at least once.

Sure enough not five minutes after she settled on the floor, she started to be sick. He was used to nursing drunks, and the puking didn't bother him anymore.

He gently pulled her hair back, holding it out of the way as she got sick, so she wouldn't be sick in it. He really didn't want to have to help her get a shower. So he made sure that she didn't miss the toilet.

When she was done, he flushed the toilet as she leaned against the wall. He smiled at her, glad she didn't do this often. He wasn't sure he could handle nursing her too often.

"Thank you, Bos," she muttered.

"No problem, I've never had to this for you before, so I'm not going to complain. Once you think you're done tell, me and I'll leave you alone to freshen up. I'll leave you a toothbrush," he told her.

"You have a spare toothbrush?"

He smiled mischievously. "Leftover from the old days."

"How the hell did that work?"

"I'd pick someone up, bring her back here, and I'd be like, come on baby stay for the night. Then she'd be all, I'd love to but, Maurice I don't have a toothbrush. Then I'd tell her, not to worry I had a spare one."

"Just lying around for just these occasions?"

"I didn't tell them that, cause if I told them that, then she'd know that I'm a bit of a player. What I'd tell her was that I had just bought a new one that I hadn't used yet, and that she could borrow that one. Then I'd excuse myself into the bathroom, to get some condoms, or something. I'd hide my regular toothbrush, and pull out this ratty old one, so she wouldn't get wise. Then I'd go back in and tell her the new one was still in the package. She'd use it, if I saw her again, I told her it was her toothbrush, say I bought a new toothbrush, and pull out my not so ratty looking one."

"That was quiet the intricate plan you had there, Bos.."

"So, I do have an extra toothbrush here, cause I had bought one of the last times I had someone over, and have never used it."

She smiled. "That makes sense then."

"So the toothbrush is yours now. I'll keep it here, just in case you're over and need to freshen up."

She shook her head. "You know that I'm drunk, right?"

"Trust me, I know just how drunk you are, Faith, I'd never do anything to you while you were drunk I'm not an ass."

"Thank you. I think my stomach's good now. Would you mind, you know, giving me a few minutes?"

He got up, "no problem I'll be in the living room when you're done."

"Thanks."

He went through his cupboard, and handed her a toothbrush, still in it's packaging. She ripped it open, and brushed her teeth right away. Glad that Bosco had been a womanizer who was over prepared.

Meanwhile Bosco put on a pot of coffee, just in case she liked to have coffee to help sober herself up. He also go some blankets, and pillows, and began setting them up on the couch.

She came out of the bathroom. She surprised him, by wrapping her arms around his waist. He tried getting away, but the more he struggled the harder she squeezed him.

"Faith what are you doing?" he asked her.

"Drinking makes me really horny," she whispered in his ear.

"I'm sorry I can't help you with that."

"What, why not? It's not like we've never been together before."

"I know, and while I dream about being with you again, you're very drunk, and I'm not going to take advantage of you. I care about you too much."

"But this is what I want, you know that."

"I know that you want it, eventually, but I'm not sure if it's you in there, somewhere, talking to me, or if it's the drink, so I'm sorry, but I'm going to sleep on the couch and you're going sleep in my room."

She pouted. "Whatever, but you don't know what you're missing. I really do want this Bosco."

"We'll talk in the morning, and if you still feel this way, then we'll see what happens."

"But tomorrow I have to worry about the kids."

"Kim's got them, she'll keep them as late as you want her to, or just drop them by for Katri to take care of. Either way you don't have to worry about that."

She nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to share the bed?"

"Faith it's not a good idea, I'm not going to take advantage of you while you're drunk. I care about you too much to do that to you."

She pouted again. "Fine, but I'm telling you that I want you, and that I'm horny right now."

"I hear you loud and clear. I'm doing this because I care about you," he tried to assure her. "Let me show where anything you might need in my room is."

She followed him into his bedroom. He went over to his dresser drawer, and pulled out an NYPD t-shirt. He tossed it at her, and was impressed that she actually caught it. Despite her motor skills being all right, he knew was still drunk.

"You can wear this to bed, if you'd like," he told her. "The alarm clock is across the room so that I have to get out of bed to shut it off. I'll just make sure that it's off for you. I've got some books and magazines if you open up the left side table."

"Okay. Was this book thing another one of your tricks?"

"Yeah, I'd say those were my ex girlfriend's books, and magazines, she never came by to pick them up. I'd then say that I had really cared about her, and just can't stand to get rid of the last few things she had left here. Also that way if she did by some chance cal wanting them back I could say goodbye to her properly when she picked them up."

"You're something else you know that?"

He shrugged. "I've changed now though. I just never really got around to cleaning things out. You know how much I hate cleaning."

She smiled at him. "Or maybe you were thinking about going back to your old tricks."

"No," he replied. "It really wasn't."

"Why not?" she began running her hands through his hair.

"Let's talk about this in the morning, all right?" She went to kiss him, but he pushed her away. "Faith, I'm serious, I care about you too much to screw this up because you're being over baring, cause you're drunk. How about you just get some rest, and if you still feel the same in the morning, then we'll talk then?"

She nodded. "Fine."

"I'll go get you a glass, and a pitcher of water, you're gonna need it. I'll also leave some Advil on the side table for you."

"All right," she said.

He left the room to go get her what she would need when she woke up. He knocked on the door before entering, and not hearing her protest, he went in. She was already curled up, asleep in his bed. He placed the items on the side table, then went into the living room to make himself comfortable on his couch.

--

The next morning when Faith woke up her head was pounding. For a moment she wondered where she was. She knew she wasn't at home. Then she remembered going out with Kim, and Alex, and Bosco meeting them there later that night.

She looked at the side table, and was happy to see a glass, and a pitcher of water. She was even more happy when she saw the bottle of Advil there too. She took the medicine, then gulped down as much of the water as she could.

She felt a little bit better after a few minutes, and she was very glad that Kim had the kids. She would not be able to deal with them right then. She remembered why it was she never really drank. She always ended up with fierce hangovers.

When she was in college, and at the academy she had tried a few times to keep up with the guys, and she could usually do it. She had actually gone drink for drink with Fred a coupe of times. But she would always regret in the morning.

For some reason she always ended up with the worst hangovers, and she never did find the secret to get getting rid of them quickly, like Fred had.

She wasn't sure if Fred had just pretended that he was fine, or had learned earlier then she had thought that best cure for a hangover was to have another drink, and not get to the sobering up part.

She didn't care at that moment. She had to get to the bathroom. She remembered about the toothbrush that was in there, and was glad she was able to brush her teeth. When she was done in the bathroom, she went into the kitchen. Still in the t-shirt.

"Morning," Bosco said. "I was just about to wake you up for breakfast."

"I'm not sure I can stomach anything write now," she muttered.

"Can I at least try to make you something? Just trust me, if you're brave enough to try, I promise you won't get stick."

"What are you making?"

"Egg sandwich."

"Eggs, I don't know, Bos."

"It's be hard fried, on toast, and with some bacon. I swear it's the best hangover breakfast you'll ever have."

"I'll try it, but if I get sick Bos, I'll shoot you."

He smiled. "There's no way you're hiding a gun on your person right now."

He let his eyes run up and down her t-shirt clad body a few times, making sure that she knew that he was looking very intently.

She shook her head. "Whatever."

"Look, if you get sick I'll hold your hair just like last night."

"You did that?"

"I've had a lot of experience nursing drunk people. You we're so bad, you were only sick a couple times, and once you were done, you were done, none of the I think I'm done, and then puke somewhere else crap."

"I guess that's uh good to know."

"I also learned last night that you're a touchy feely kind of drunk."

She blushed. "Oh?"

"I put you in bed, and told you we'd talk in the morning about that. I'd never take advantage of you while you were drunk," he told her as he made her breakfast. "Besides, if I had tried anything, I'm sure you would have found my off duty revolver, shot me with it, then made it look like a suicide."

She laughed, nervously. "I'm sorry about last night, that's why I don't like to drink very often. Well that, and the hangover thing. And the whole I don't want to be my father or ex-husband."

He smiled at her. "It's fine I don't think I've ever seen you drunk before. I'm used to helping nurse drunks."

"You are."

"My mother owns a bar remember? I help her out there sometimes. I've seen all kinds of people acting all kinds of different ways when they're drunk. I used also nurse my drunk father after a bender, so I really am used to just about anything that can be thrown at me."

"Was I that bad?"

"No, you're just a lot, uh, softer, when you're drunk."

"Softer?"

"Yeah, a lot of people get really rough, and just are a pain the ass cause they just get macho, and pig headed. You know the whole drink and fight thing?"

She laughed. "Yeah."

"But you get so much softer, you loosen up. It's almost like you become, I don't know how to put this without insulting you."

"Try it, I won't get insulted."

"Last night, Faith, you weren't trying to act like nothing's been bothering you. You had your guard down with me. You knew what you wanted, and you just kind of wanted to go for it."

"So why'd you stop me?"

He had continued to make her breakfast as they spoke, and everything was just about done.  
He shrugged. "Because I would hate to know something personal about you that you might not even remember telling me about."

"Oh."

"I'm pretty good at reading people when they've been drinking. I didn't want to risk what we have just because I was curious. If I'm right, I think you wanted to show me the softer side of you. But don't get drunk again to show it to me. I want to see that side of you, Faith. I know that you can't hold the weight of the world on the shoulders anymore. You don't have to play Atlas if you don't want to. If you ask me to help you carry part of your burden, I won't look down on you for asking."

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

He put the plate in front of her. "Here you go." He told her, wiping her tears with his thumbs.

"Thank you, Bos, for everything," she whispered.

He smiled at her. "I'm happy to do if for you, Faith. You mean the world to me, and I don't want to do anything that may make me lose you."

She had just swallowed the first bite of her egg sandwich. "This is really good Bos, and it doesn't seem to be upsetting my stomach at all."

"Yeah, it was my mom's old trick, works for most people who are brave enough to try it. I could imagine being grossed out if it was a soft fried egg, which yolk running everywhere. But where's the harm in a hard fried egg?"

She smiled at him, and continued to eat her breakfast in silence. She did somewhat remember her trying to come onto him the night before. She had realized while she was drinking the night before, that she did, in fact, love him.

When she saw him coming in she had got in her mind to tell him, but instead of stopping before she made herself sick she just kept drinking because she was nervous.

Now here he was telling her that he really cared about her, and wanted to see her softer side more often. She finished up her breakfast, glad that her stomach was settled, and that her headache was slowly beginning to dull.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Much better, thank you," she replied, standing up and hugging him.

He wrapped his arms around her too, just glad that she didn't seem to be upset about the way anything had happened the night before. She just stood in there, wrapped up in his arms, never wanting to leave that safety.

"Uh, Faith," Bosco said, nervously. "I think we're just past the amount of time a friendly hug is supposed to last."

"I don't care," she whispered.

She then buried her face into his chest, closing her eyes. She just needed to feel close to him. It had been so long since she had felt close to anyone, and she missed it. He was surprised when he felt his shirt getting wet from her tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked, running his hand through her hair.

"I just," she started. "Bosco this last year you've been amazing to me. You helped me through everything with Fred, and then started taking my kids once a week just so that they'd have some male bonding time. You've helped me so much when I thought my best friend was dying, and so many other things. And how have I repaid you?"

"Faith," he warned.

"No, hear me out, you've been amazing, you dropped your old philandering ways, and have pretty much become the father my kids don't have. You've been here for me through everything, and all I've been able to tell you was that I was not ready to be with you."

"I wanted to, and still want to do those things for you. I understand that you're not ready for a relationship right now. I do, honestly and I would never push for anything more then you're ready to give me."

She looked up at him, and smiled. She then leaned up, and gently brushed her lips against his, closing her eyes as soon as she made contact. He pulled away, quickly.

"Faith?" he asked, unsure.

"This is what I want, Bos, I know that now. I want you." She ran her hand through his hair. "You are amazing to me, and I don't know why it took me so long to admit how I feel about you. You're already playing such an important role in my life. I want you to know that it's appreciated. I want to be with you. I want to be able to kiss you, and hug you, and do whatever with you. I'm just a little nervous."

He smiled at her. "It might have something to do with my reputation. Would you have believed a year ago, I'd be helping you with the kids, that I could cook, that I'd stop sleeping around?"

She shook her head. "No, but you changed a long enough time ago for me. I should have seen it sooner. I should have known that it was really true, a lot sooner. I should have told you sooner."

He smiled down at her. "Told me what?"

She looked at him straight in the eyes. "Bosco, I love you."

"I love you, too, Faith," he told her before capturing her lips again.

She pulled away a moment later. "Should I start calling you Maurice?" she laughed against his lips.

"No, I want you to call me Bosco. I want you to scream it when you come when we're alone, once you're ready. I love you so much, Faith." He devoured her lips again.

She never thought she'd hear Bosco telling her those words, but she was happy to hear them. She deepened their kiss, it felt so good to feel loved again. It had been far longer a year since she felt like a man loved her.

She knew that Bosco was not just going through the motions. She knew that he had actually changed for her, and she was happy he had, because she made her feel so loved. She never would have believed it, but she trusted Bosco with her heart more then she had ever trusted anyone before in her life. She never wanted to break their kiss.

Although it was not their first kiss, it still meant a lot to both of them. She also knew that it would be far from the last kiss they shared. She thought that after Fred that she could never love again, but she knew now that her love for Bosco was so much strong then anything she had felt for Fred.

Bosco had known for a long time now that he loved his partner. When he first discovered his feelings were so strong he wanted to run away from them. He was Maurice Boscoreilli, after all. He took pride in never falling in love with anyone he was with. Then he made the mistake of falling for his, then married, partner.

He never thought he'd actually get his chance with her, and he was glad that he had. He wished that kiss would never end, but he knew that eventually they would have to get back to the real world.

All too soon they were forced to pull away. He had never been addicted to someone's kisses so quickly. He had never been so turned on by only a kiss before. He knew she could feel it too.

"Is that for me?" she asked him.

"All for you?" he replied.

"How about we do something to fix that?"

"You sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

She leaned up and kissed him lightly, teasingly, before disappearing into the bedroom. This time he was glad to follow her. It had been a long time coming, and she was glad it was finally happening.

Faith had never been so excited about being with anyone in her life. It didn't matter that she had already been with him once, that was not nearly the same. She had never had an experience like this, it all seemed knew to her.

Maybe she had never actually been in love with Fred, or maybe it was just a different kind of love. Everything with Bosco had felt so right from the first moment they had met, at the academy.

She never really understood why she had felt such a bond with him, until that moment. For the first time in her life she knew what it felt like to be with your soul mate. That's what Bosco was, she finally understood everything.

She had been told once that you have to know where you've been to know where you're going. She finally understood that too. She had to accept her past to know that he was her future.

She knew that this time everything would be right, and she was not going to have to let go of his love. She let her train of thought derail and Bosco pulled her onto his bed with him.

tbc...

end notes: ha! finally it only took me twenty plus chapters for them to realise it, but they have... thehe have some cool stuff coming up, so stayed tuned for it, and always pls a review or two keeps going


	30. 30

TITLE: A Friend in Need   
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue  
RATING: PG-13 tops currently  
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust   
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i'm so sorry for the delay soo much has happened in my life since my last update and the longer i put off writing the harder it was but i figured i owed it to you now that i've got some ambition to try and finish up this story, so here it is... and now i remember why i went for shortfic before... i get too distracted sometimes and life changes too fast

A few hours later Faith woke up, spooned in Bosco's arms. It felt so good to wake up next to him, and she hoped that she would be able to do it more often. This time she didn't want to run away from him. She wanted to stay there, but knew that she couldn't. She had to get back to her kids.

She kissed Bosco lightly on the lips, and he opened his eyes. He kissed her back, deepening the kiss, until she pulled away.

"As much as I've enjoyed this, I should be getting home, and to the kids," she told him.

"Not running away this time?" he asked.

"No," she assured him. "I'm not going to run away for over a year to come back this time."

She kissed him again, to assure him that she really did want to be with him this time. She wanted to make it last this time. It took her too long to realize just how much she needed him.

"I love you," she told him, smiling.

"I'll never sick of hearing those words," he told her. "I love you, too."

She smiled at him. "I never thought I'd see that day when you were telling anyone those words, and I certainly never thought you'd be telling them to me."

He smiled at her. "People change."

She nodded. "They sure do, and in this case it's defiantly for the better."

She leaned in and kissed him again, already addicted to the way he felt and tasted. He wrapped his arm around her neck, and deepened the kiss, for a long moment. She pulled away, and he pulled her back.

"Bosco," she whimpered against his lips.

"I seem to be having trouble letting you go," he told her.

She ran her hand through his hair. "I have to go, I'm sorry, I'll call you later," she told him, pulling away.

"I'll see you later then?" he replied.

"Well, yes, you're gonna be picking up Charlie later, right?"

He smiled. "Right, how about we change the plan? I'm gonna take you three out to a nice supper, so that we can tell them our news."

She smiled at him. "I think I'd like that. Just be prepared for them making our wedding plans."

He laughed. "All right, I'll see you all later then."

"All right, later Bos."

She kissed him one last time before she left the house. She couldn't believe what had happened. She would have to thank Kim for the girl's night, since it had all worked out so well.

She made her way over to her friend's house to pick up the kids. She hoped that they had behaved themselves while they were there. She buzzed up to the apartment, and was let up right away. She knocked on the door, and Bobby answered it.

"Hi," Faith said. "Are the kids still here?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Come on in. The boys are in Joey's room, and Kim and Emily are watching a movie."

"Together?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Em's kinda been in a bit of a mood of late, I didn't think she associated with any adults."

Bobby shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. They've been like sisters most of the night. Although it could be a hint from Kim that she wants to have a daughter eventually."

Faith laughed. "All right, well I'm just glad that Emily is getting along with someone."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, Kim was mentioning she's been a handful of late."

"Yeah, she's just pissed off cause she found out about Fred calling. She blames me for him not coming back."

"It's not your fault, you just want to make sure that if he comes back he'll stay in their lives."

She smiled at him. "Thank you I needed to hear that."

"Do you have time for some coffee?"

"I'm sorry, I'll have to take a rain cheque. I have a couple of things I need to do before we go for supper tonight."

Kim came out of her room, and smiled at her friend.

"Hey," she said. "How did it go last night?"

Faith grinned. "It went well, I heard about some of Bosco's old tricks." She laughed.

"And?"

"What and?"

"You know what I want to know." Kim laughed.

"We're telling the kids tonight, so I can't give you any details until tomorrow."

Kim smiled. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, and for setting everything up last night too."

"No problem. I'll go get Emily, Charlie's in Joey's room playing."

Kim went into her room to talk to Emily, as Faith went in to get Charlie.

"Your mom's here," Kim told Emily.

"Okay," she replied, dryly.

"I know you're still mad at her sweetie," Kim told her. "But her and Bosco are gonna bring you two out for supper. You'll see it's all gonna work out. I know you love your father, but right now he needs to stay away."

"I know," Emily said. "I just miss him."

She nodded. "I know, and the worst part about that is that that never really goes away."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean even when you're older, and you realize what he did, and how much he hurt you, and your mother, you'll still miss him, and a part of you will still love him."

"Why's that?"

"Cause no matter what he's always your dad, and you're just supposed to love your parents."

Emily nodded. "So do you want me to apologize to her?"

"Not if you don't want to just yet."

"Okay."

"Everything you told me last night, is between you an me, all right. The only time I would tell your mother something is if I thought you'd be hurt if I didn't tell her. All right?"

"Okay. Thank you so much."

"You can come over here whenever you want to get away all right?" She smiled. "You just have to ask your mother first, all right? Anyway enough of the chit chat for now, your mom's waiting."

She nodded. "Okay, thank you, again, Kim."

They went into the living room, and Charlie was already ready to go. Emily got her things together, and left.

Faith was actually kind of excited about telling the kids about her and Bosco. She knew they had been bugging her for some time to get together with him. She just wasn't sure that Emily felt the same way as she once had.

She had turned into quiet the handful lately, and she just hoped that she didn't make a scene at the restaurant. She knew that Bosco could deal with that, she just didn't think that he should have to.

She was so happy about the whole thing that nothing could really bring her down at that point. Logically she knew that Emily would probably be all right with everything, still. She hadn't been complaining about spending time with him.

Charlie was really the one who was bugging her about them getting married though. She wondered if he really did understand what had happened with Fred after all. He seemed to just be sailing along as if nothing big had happened.

She was fairly certain that Emily had told him about the phone call, but he hadn't asked her anything about it. She found it hard to believe that a boy could just forget about his father, and not care about him.

"So did you two have fun last night?" Faith asked them.

"Why's it okay for you to go out and drink, and Daddy had to leave cause of it?" Emily asked.

"Because I don't go out and drink every night. Drinking sometimes isn't a problem," Faith explained. "The problem arises when someone is drinking all the time, and thinks that drinking is more important then everything else."

"Oh."

"When was the last time I went out with my friends like that?"

Emily shrugged. "Why can't you just not drink at all?"

"Cause sometimes when you're an adult it's fun to out and have a good time and have a few drinks."

"Oh."

"You'll understand when you're older."

Emily shook her head. "I'm so sick of hearing that!"

Faith shrugged. "I'm sorry, Emily but it's the truth."

"Whatever."

She hated that Emily was getting closer and closer to being a teenager, and that she was getting so hard to talk to. She knew that Emily was upset, but she thought she'd move past it eventually.

"What about you Charlie?" she asked her son.

"I had a lot of fun!" Charlie told him. "What's Bobby?"

"What do you mean what's Bobby."

"Like is he like Bosco?"

"Yeah, a little bit. But Bobby and Kim are going to be getting married. So Bobby's going to be Joey's step father."

"Oh, okay, I wasn't sure. Anyway he's really cool. He actually played with us for a little while last night."

"That's really great honey."

"Why is that that Joey still gets to see his dad even though his mom and dad are divorced?"

Faith wanted to reply, that it was because Jimmy was surprisingly a much better father then Fred. But she knew that was a bad idea.

"Because," she said, not sure what to say. "Kim and Joey's dad, Jimmy, they still get along, and Jimmy's responsible with him. He doesn't drink all the time, and he wants to see Joey."

"Oh. Why doesn't your dad want to see us anymore?"

"I wish I knew honey."

He nodded. "Are you still sad that he left?"

"No, she isn't stupid," Emily replied.

"Emily!" Faith scaled. "Don't call your brother stupid! And don't answer for me."

"Why shouldn't I it's the truth. You don't miss him."

"I don't miss him being my husband, no, but I do miss him being your father."

"Then why won't you let him come back."

"Because what if he's just lying to me?" she asked. "I don't want him to come back only for him to get up and leave again. That's not fair to you kids."

Emily shrugged. "I don't care."

"So you'd be just as happy as you are now if your father came back, and left again in a month."

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Be honest with me, Emily."

"Fine I guess I'd be right back at when he left the first time."

"Now do you see why I want him to be sober for a little while before I want him back."

"He's coming back?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know," Faith told him. "That depends on him. I told him that he could come back if he really wanted to, and if he had stopped drinking for a few months."

"Oh."

"I know you want him back, but I know you don't want him to come back and leave again."

"No," he admitted.

"Then we're gonna have to do this my way. All right?"

"All right," said Charlie.

"If he does that, then maybe he'll come back, but not until then."

"Is Bosco gonna be staying?"

"Yeah, I think he will."

"Then that's good then."

Faith smiled glad that Charlie at least would be happy about their news. They pulled up to Faith's apartment, and they all got out of the cab. They all went inside.

"I'd like you two to clean your room today," Faith told them.

"All right," they grumbled.

"Hi," said Katri. "How did it going last night?"

"It went really well," Faith replied. "I had a lot of fun."

"That good. Who was there?"

"My friend Kim, you know her. A firefighter named Alex, but she's a girl. And then I met Kim's sister Melanie."

"Oh that must be nice."

"It was, she was the bartender."

Katri smiled. "How did your head feel in the morning?"

Faith laughed. "It hurt a lot, but Bosco helped me with that."

"Oh, really. How does he help when you drink too much?"

"He gave me an egg sandwich."

"With bacon and cheese?"

"No cheese but bacon."

"In Suomi Katri's mother makes an egg sandwich with bacon and cheese, and toast when someone has too much too drink the day before."

"I don't think I could have handled the cheese," Faith laughed. "But it was good, and I did feel better after. It's good to know that Bosco isn't the only person who does something with eggs for hangovers."

Katri laughed, she then took out her note book, and wrote down the word, and what it meant.

"That is a new word!" she exclaimed.

"I noticed," Faith laughed.

She was learning so much since she had come to work with the family, and she felt like she fit right in. The kids were really good with her, and treated her almost like a big sister.

"Where are you going tonight?" Katri asked.

"I don't really know where Bosco is taking us tonight," Faith replied.

"So it's all of you?"

"Yes. Do you have something to do tonight?"

"No, I want email everyone I miss them."

"That's fine. It must be so hard being away from everyone you know."

She nodded. "Yes, but they all jealous of Katri's adventure."

Faith laughed. "Oh, all right then. If you'd like you can call home for a little bit, while we're out."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I think I can spare the money this month, just don't talk for too long."

"It's okay," Katri assured her just happy that she'd be able to talk to her family.

--

Bosco had taken them to an Italian restaurant that night. It wasn't overly fancy, but it was still very nice. Faith smiled at him upon seeing him, wanting nothing more then to kiss him. She knew that wouldn't be a good idea. The two kids gave him a hug, and then sat down.

A man dressed in a blue suit came over to the table. Faith knew that he wasn't a waiter, and wondered who he might be. He was an older man with graying hair.

"Maurice, such a beautiful family," he said in a deep Italian accent.

"This is my partner, Faith, and her kids, Emily, and Charlie, Mister Angalini," he told the man.

He laughed. "Okay." He went and introduced himself to each of them, kissing the two women as he went around. "But I'll let you get to your meal. Say hello to your Mama for for me!"

"I will."

He left, and Bosco laughed, looking at the expression on Faith's face.

"That's an old family friend. He bought this place around the same time Ma bought the bar. He's still trying to get her to sell the place and co-own a couple of these with him. She wants nothing to do with it. She says it's too Italian." He laughed. "Get whatever you'd like, next my mother's this is the best Italian you're gonna find 'round here. Authentic Italian, you'll see the difference."

A waiter came by with a small bottle of white wine. "From Mister Angalini, one of his favourites vintages, and a good size for a couple." He smiled and poured them each a glass. "And what can I get for you?" he asked Emily and Charlie.

"Apple Juice?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, me too please," Charlie agreed.

"All right, I'll be right back. You just keep looking at the menu.

"Okay, so he might have a bit of a thing for my mother," Bosco laughed.

"So why'd you bring us here?" Emily asked.

Emily's attitude was not getting much better, Faith realized. She felt bad, because know she was starting to snap at Bosco too. She just didn't know what to do to help her anymore.

"I thought it would be a nice change," Bosco told her. "I've never brought you here before, and it's one of my favourite places." He looked over at Faith.

"And we have something to tell you two," Faith added.

"What Bosco's leaving too?" she muttered.

"How about you let people speak, before you jump down their throats, and ask them what they have to say?"

"Whatever."

Faith would have said something to her, but she didn't want to make a scene here. She just wanted Emily to be herself again, but she knew that was not going to happen. She was growing up, and she just couldn't stop her.

"I'm not going anywhere," Bosco assured her.

"So what's the news?" Charlie asked, not wanting to witness another one of Emily's little outbursts.

Faith looked at them grinning. "Bosco and I decided we want to try and start dating."

"Does that mean you're gonna get married?" Charlie asked, hopefully.

"No, stupid. It means that they're gonna spend more time together, then realize that they don't actually like each other anymore. Then Bosco's gonna leave."

Faith knew that had they been at home Charlie would have been in tears, but held it in cause he never cried in public.

"That's not what it means," Faith assured her son. "It means that we want to see each other more, to see if we want to maybe get married. It's not going to happen right away. It's just a possibility. Nothing's gonna change too much just yet. You're still gonna have Bosco nights."

"Oh."

"I know you want us to get married, and maybe one day we will, I just don't want to rush into anything."

Emily wasn't showing it, but she was happy they were together. She just hoped that he wouldn't want to be her new father, she already had a father, and one day he would come back for her, she knew it.

The waiter came back and took everyone's orders. Charlie got spaghetti, Emily and Faith got lasagna, and Bosco got fettuccini. Before long they had all eaten, and the waiter came back.

"Can we get the gelato menu, please?" he asked. "And some coffee too."

He nodded, and disappeared, back into the kitchen. The host had already cleared away most of the dishes.

"What's gelato?" Charlie asked.

"It's Italian ice cream, it's really good. I think you'll like it."

"Cool!"

The waiter soon came back with the gelato menu. He looked at, and sure enough they didn't explain what the flavours were on there. He had been going long enough to know what they all were. He told everyone what they had, and they all ordered their gelato.

"This is way better then regular ice cream!" Charlie exclaimed trying his.

"Yeah," Emily agreed.

Before long Bosco was dropping them all back at home. When the kids weren't looking he gave Faith a small goodnight kiss, before she went inside. She was happy the evening had gone so well.

She had been worried about what Emily might say, but she had behaved herself quiet well. She went upstairs, and the two kids had already changed into their pajamas. They watched an hour of TV before they went to bad.

Soon Faith was in her own bed, starting up at the ceiling thinking about Bosco. She was so happy she had decided to give him a chance.

tbc...

end notes: all right again with the sorry on the taking sooo long... all the stuff reallly isn't excuse for not updating for so long but it's all i got... the muse fizzled i think i can finish this fic though, so here it is... sorry if there's timeline gaffs it's been a while


	31. 31

TITLE: A Friend in Need AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)  
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)  
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.  
AUTHORS NOTES: i'm so sorry for the delay soo much has happened in my life since my last update and the longer i put off writing the harder it was but i figured i owed it to you now that i've got some ambition to try and finish up this story, so here it is... and now i remember why i went for shortfic before... i get too distracted sometimes and life changes too fast

A few weeks later, Emily was at school. There were days when she hated being there. After her father had left, she had lost all her friends, and had to make new ones. That didn't really bother her, but her old friends still liked to torture her when she was alone.

"Lookit," laughed Brooke. "Emily's all alone again."

"Shut up," Emily told her.

"Whatever," she walked away.

The Emily saw her old best friend, Claire passing by. She hated Claire she had been horrible to her after her father left. She knew that Brooke and Claire were best friend, and that Claire would not be happy that Emily had told her to shut up.

"You're such a bitch that's why your father left!" Claire screamed.

"What?" Emily demanded.

"Yeah, you're a bitch, and so's your mom, and that's why you don't have your dad anymore!"

Emily was furious, and before she ever really thought about it, she had flown up close to her old friend, and had punched her. Claire hit back, but Emily was able to duck and hit her again, before two teachers broke up their fight, which was happening in the hall.

The two girls were brought to the principal's office.

"Emily," the principal called first.

Claire gave Emily a dirty look, and flipped her the bird while no one was looking. Emily wanted to hit her again, but the principal lead her into the office.

"What happened?" the principal, Mister LaJoie asked.

"She called me a name so I hit her," Emily stated, matter-of-factly.

"Okay," he told her. "Well, unfortunately because of this I have to send you home for the rest of the day. This is your one warning, Emily. If you're caught fighting again, you will be expelled."

"Yeah," Emily muttered, not really caring. Claire had it coming.

"I can't seem to get a hold of your mother, or your au paire. Is there anyone else we can call to pick you up?"

She nodded. "Yeah, my mom's boyfriend, Bosco it's his day off he should be home." She gave him the number.

"All right, good. Now since your mother's not the one picking you up, I'm gonna need you to get her to sign this form, so that I know that she knows what happened today."

Emily took the paper, folded it, up and slipped it into her bag. She knew how forge her mother's signature, so as long as he didn't leave a message at home Bosco would be the only one who would know about her fight.

He made the call. "All right, Emily, your – Bosco will be here shortly. Please sit in the hall and wait for him."

She nodded and went outside, and sat down to wait for Bosco.

Bosco threw on a pair of jeans and an NYPD t-shirt, and made his way down to Emily's school. He couldn't believe that Faith was nowhere to be found, and now he had to pick her up from school. They hadn't told him what was going on. Just that she needed to be picked up immediately, and that she'd be at the office waiting for him.

He assumed that she was sick or something, Emily wasn't much one to get into trouble. She actually liked school, so he really couldn't see her as the type to have done anything stupid.

He pulled up the school, and went through the door. When he got to the office he started having flashback to his on school days where he made almost daily trips to the office for various infractions.

He saw Emily sitting there, she didn't look sick to him. He then saw another girl come out, with a black eye. He hoped to hell the Emily was not the one who had given it to her. He knew some schools had implemented automatic expulsion when it came to fighting.

Of course if that were the case then he certainly would not be allowed to pick her up. He went to the secretary.

"Hi," he said. "I'm here to pick up Emily Yokas."

"You're her father?" she asked.

"That's a little insensitive, maybe you should look at her file before you make assumptions. I'm her second emergency contact, Maurice Boscorelli, a family friend," he told her.

"Yeah, she's over there. You can take her."

Bosco shook his head, and Emily stood up, and followed him to the car. She got in, sat down and put on her seatbelt, never saying a word.

"So what happened?" he asked.

"I hit a girl."

"Oh," Bosco said.

"She said that I was the reason my father left. She used to be my best friend, and now she's calling me a bitch. I mean she was the one who ditched me at the same time my father did, what does that make her?"

Bosco laughed. "Yeah, but you probably shouldn't have hit her."

"This from a man who shoots people who piss him off?"

"I don't shoot people who piss me off, I shoot people who break the law," he explained.

"Whatever."

"All right, I'll admit, I am a bit of a fighter," he told her. "But I don't want you to do that, it's not a good way to solve a problem. You should figure out a new way to deal with her while you're still young enough to stop yourself from always fighting."

She shrugged. "Whatever."

"Listen to me, Emily. I know that what she said was cruel, but there really is a better way to deal with it, most of the time."

"I was just so mad, Bosco," she told him. "I mean why would she say something so cruel?"

"Cause teenaged girls are like that?"

She looked at him quizzically. "What does that mean."

"Just as it says, teenaged girls are like that. I'm sorry to say, but they're mean spiteful little things. You beating her up won't do a damn bit of good. It'll just fuel her. Two guys get in a fight, knock each other, and it's done. Two girls get into a fight, and it's never really done cause they each want to get the last swing in."

"Whatever."

"It's the truth. I don't mean to be a sexist jerk, but it's the truth. Ask your mother she'd say the same."

"I'm not asking my mother anything, thank you very much."

"Well she's gonna be asking you a lot of question."

"Not if we don't tell her."

Bosco was shocked. "I don't think that's gonna happen."

"What the hell good are you?"

"What?"

"I called you cause I figured this way Mom doesn't have to know what happened. I thought you'd have my back Bosco."

"You can't seriously expect me to keep this from your mother, can you?" He asked. "Part of being in a relationship with someone is being truthful with her."

"Well you're not exactly lying are you."

He shook his head. "Lying by omission is almost worse!"

"Whatever!"

"To your mother it is. I'm not going to not tell her about this Emily, this is something she has to deal with."

"If you weren't dating her I bet you'd let me slide."

"Not likely!"

She crossed her arms, angry. "Whatever."

Bosco couldn't believe the attitude he was getting from the girl. She had never been like this before. She was seriously pissed off when that he wouldn't go along with her little lie.

"You can't ask me to keep things from her, Emily," he told her, staying calm. "I'm not your parent, I never will be. It's her job to deal with this kind of thing, not mine. I'm sorry. But the two of us will be in a lot more trouble when she finds out. And she will find out about it, it's a Mom thing."

She just glared at him, he knew that he was getting the silent treatment. She was pissed off because she thought that by calling him that she'd get away with it, and her mother would be none the wiser.

"Emily, I'm sorry you're mad at me," he told her. "I just want to do what's best for you."

"You're not my father!" she snapped.

"I know, and I don't want to take his place Em. I care about you, and I just don't want to see you doing this to yourself. You're better then this."

She shook her head. "Yeah, whatever."

"Look, I know you're mad at me right now. And I really am sorry. I have to do the right thing here. I want to be your friend, but I also have to try and keep you safe. I'm not gonna discipline you, that's not my job. But I'm not gonna keep things from your mother, just so you don't get into trouble."

"You're the reason she told Daddy to stay away!" She spat, suddenly.

"What?"

"You heard me, it's cause of you that she didn't want my father to come back! She's so selfish! She doesn't think that we need our father, that we just need YOU, but we need him too!"

He pulled over. "Emily, I know you need your father, too, but he doesn't want to be here."

"Bullshit! He called! He wanted to come back! And SHE wouldn't let him! Because of YOU!"

"That's not why she didn't want him to come back, Emily, and you know it. She knew that he wasn't ready to come home, and be a father again. He wasn't happy doing that, that's why he drank!"

Emily glared at him. "He loved us!"

"Yes, he loved you both, but he hated being a stay at home dad while your mother went out and made all the money."

"Then why didn't she quit?"

"How would you have eaten. He would have found some other reason to keep drinking and not get a job."

There were tears in her eyes. "Then it was us."

"No, Em, it wasn't you, it was the drink."

"I just don't get it."

He nodded. "I know you don't."

"Please don't tell Mom."

"I have to."

She glared at him. "You suck."

"Then I'll just have to suck, I'm sorry Emily, one day you'll understand."

"I'm so sick of hearing that."

"I know you are, but it's the truth."

Bosco started the car up again, and soon they had pulled up to Faith's apartment. He walked upstairs with her. Katri and Faith were back, and Emily knew that she was now doomed.

She didn't want her mother to know what had happened at school that day. She had wanted it to be a secret. She really thought that Bosco would help her out with that, but he didn't, and she was pissed off at him.

She went inside the house, and both women were surprised to see her. Bosco followed her up, to make sure that she told them truth, and didn't give a line about being sick. Faith was even more confused when she saw Bosco follow her inside.

Katri went into her room and shut the door, knowing that something was going on, and that she didn't want to have to see it.

"What's going on?" Faith asked.

"I –" Emily paused. "They sent me home from school earlier."

"Why didn't I get a call?"

"They tried, you weren't here, so I told 'em to call Bosco cause it's his day off, too."

"Why were you sent home early?"

Emily shrugged. "Cause I got into trouble."

Faith shook her head. "What did you do?"

"I hit a girl?"

"What why would you hit someone?"

"She called me a bitch, and said it was my fault Daddy left. So I punched her."

"You should know better then to hit people."

She laughed. "Why are all the cops the ones telling me not to hit, and hurt people? It's a little hypocritical don't you think?"

"Weather it is or it isn't, is not the point, Emily. The point is you hit a girl today, and got sent home from school!"

"Mom, it's not a big deal, I won't do it again."

"It is a big deal. Who'd you hit."

"Claire."

"I thought she was your friend."

She scowled at her mother. "Yeah, try like a year ago, Mother."

"What happened?"

"Daddy left, and my friends ditched me. I love it how you listen to me."

Faith cursed herself for not remembering that. She had been doing so well with them of late, and now it was all down the toilet because she had forgotten that Emily had had to make all new friends.

She just wanted to know what was up with her of late. Nothing seemed to make her happy, and she had an answer for everything. She was becoming such a teenager, and she hated it. She was only eleven, couldn't she have waited till she hit thirteen to do this?

"I'm sorry, there's been a lot on my mind of late," Faith told her.

"Yeah, I know there always, and I'm just an after thought."

"No, Em, that's not it at all. It's just that-"

"Whatever Mom, it doesn't matter."

"It does matter, Em. It does, it just-"

"I don't care!" She snapped. "I hit a girl today cause she was mean to me. So what's my punishment?"

"I have to think about that."

"Fine. I'll be in my room if you need me."

She stormed into her room, and slammed the door shut, behind her. Faith knew she had screwed up this time, and that she might not be able to forgive her. It was just that she and Clair had been friends for so long, it was strange that they were not talking.

She had met Claire in a pre school play group.

Faith looked at Bosco. He held out his arms, and she gladly stepped into a firm embrace.

"So how many more years of this do we have left?" she asked.

"A few," he replied. "She's really pissed off that I told you. She thought that if I got called that you wouldn't find out about this."

Faith nodded. "Like she could have kept it from me for very long."

Bosco smiled. "So is this what it feels like to be a parent?"

She laughed. "It doesn't always feel like you're the bad guy. Just when they're mad."

"Which is going to be for the next ten years of her life or so."

"Don't remind me."

Katri meanwhile realized what time it was, and left her room to go pick Charlie up from school. Knowing that Faith was busy with Emily. She walked down to the school, and waited for him by the doors.

He came out and was surprised to see that it was not his mother waiting for him, since she was off that day.

"Why didn't Mom pick me up?" he asked her.

"Cause Emily come home from school early today," she told him.

"Oh, okay, is she sick?"

"I don't think so."

"Is she in trouble."

"That not nice to ask, Charlie."

He laughed. "I know, but is she?"

"I think so. Bosco brought her home."

"She musta been in a lot of trouble!" He was excited.

"Charlie be good to your sister."

"Didn't you fight with your brothers and sisters?"

"I don't have any brothers and sisters. Not whole ones. I have half brother and sister, who are six and eight when I left Suomi."

"Do they fight?"

"I guess they do a little bit."

"So then it's normal."

"Yes, it might be. I still don't like it."

He smiled at her. "We'll try harder to get along. You know I like it when you come and pick me up from school."

"Why?"

"Cause all the guys in my class are jealous when they see you?"

"Jealous?"

"Yes, cause they all think you're hot. So they are like mad and upset that they're not the ones who have you as an au paire."

Katri blushed. "Stop that."

"What? It's the truth. Some of the guys Emily goes to school with say the same thing. Even Bosco thought so when he first saw you."

"I guess, but it is still embarrassing. I don't like it when people tell me that I am pretty."

"Sure you do, my dad used to say all the time that all girls like it when you tell them how pretty they are."

"Pretty, yes, but no every person thinks that."

"Okay, I understand. If you say to someone that you like that they're pretty that's good, because she feels special. But when you tell someone that everyone thinks she's pretty then that's a problem. Then she feels like, embarrassed?"

"Yes."

"All right."

They arrived back at the apartment a few minutes later. Charlie went to go into his room, and the door was blocked.

"Hey! Emily!" he called.

"What?" she snapped from inside.

"I gotta get in there!"

"WAIT!"

"But it's my room too!"

"I said wait!"

He began knocking on the door. "I gotta do my homework!"

"Do it in the kitchen!"

"I left my textbook in there this morning."

"Work on something else!"

"I don't have anything else! Lemme in!"

"NO!"

"MOM!"

Faith, who had been sitting on the couch having a cup of coffee to clam her nerves. She put the mug down on the table with a loud thud. Bosco knew she was pissed, and stayed out of the way.

"Emily!" she yelled. "You let Charlie get his textbook!"

"NO!" she snapped, brave because she had a door protecting her.

"Open this door or swear to god that I will get Bosco to take it off it!"

"I dare you to do!"

"Bosco," she said looking at him, loud enough for Emily to hear her. "There's some tools in the storage space."

Bosco looked at Faith, a little surprised that she was serious about this. He went to stand up, but the flew open.

"Fine!" Emily shrieked. "Baby get his blankie!"

Charlie looked up at his sister. He ran into the room, then grabbed his textbook. He quickly left the room. He started to do his homework, sitting at the kitchen table instead of at the desk they shared.

"Emily!" Faith scalded. "You know better then to not let your brother into your room. It's his room too."

"I should have my own room you know! It's not right for me to share with my stupid brother!"

"We can't afford anything bigger, and as soon as Katri leaves-"

"Then you'll have a baby with Bosco and it will get my room!"

"Emily!"

"It's true. You're gonna forget all about Dad and us! You're gonna be more interested in Bosco and HIS baby! Nothing we do will matter anymore!"

"That's not true!"

"Whatever." She stormed over to where Bosco was sitting. "YOU! You ruined everything! You ruined my family! This is all your fault. If it wasn't for you I'd still have my Daddy! But she," she scowled at her mother. "She wants YOU not our father!"

"Emily?" he asked, not thinking she would ever act like this.

"You ruined my life!" She yelled. "I'm going for a walk!"

"Don't you dare leave this apartment!" Faith yelled.

"WATCH ME!"

Emily picked up her shoes, and coat, and left the apartment quickly before her mother could get to the door. She then began running down the hall, and down the stairs.

"Don't you think I can't catch you!" Faith yelled running after her.

She went down one flight of stairs, and decided to stop chasing her. Emily stopped, looked back, and kept going. Putting her shoes on at the next landing. She looked up again, and saw her mother walking back up the stairs.

She didn't want to go back, but she wasn't sure where she wanted to go.

tbc...

end notes: where will em go stay tuned to find out! 


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